Storytime: Juju saves Christmas in da Bayou by Michelle Hirstius

Lucky Louisiana kids have many interesting takes on holiday classics…. and one that is beloved worldwide is the Cajun Night Before Christmas, adapted from the classic version (which dates back to the early 1800s) by James Rice in 1974.

‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all thro’ the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
The stockings were hung by the chimney with care,
In hopes that St. Nicholas soon would be there;

In the Cajun version, the story is told in Cajun dialect:

Twas the night before Christmas an’ all t’ru de house,
Dey don’t a ting pass Not even a mouse.
De chirren been nezzle good snug on de flo’,
An’ Mama pass de pepper t’ru de crack on de do’.

In Trosclair’s eyewitness account, St. Nicholas drives a skiff which rises up over the swamps led by alligators instead of reindeer!

“Ha, Gaston! Ha, Tiboy! Ha, Pierre an’ Alcee’! Gee, Ninette! Gee, Suzette! Celeste an’ Renee’!”

Now, the legend grows, thanks to the imagination of New Orleans children’s author and illustrator Michelle Hirstius.

Michelle is the creator of the adorable series about JuJu, a good voodoo doll who brings good luck and fortune to those she encounters. In JuJu Saves Christmas in da Bayou, we learn the backstory of how Santa’s reindeer became gators.

Every year Santa delivers presents to all the boys and girls, but this year Santa gets into a pickle! Juju the GOOD voodoo is there to help… see how Juju saves Christmas! 

What fun! Thanks, Michelle, for sharing your Christmas tale with Confetti Park.

Learn about all of JuJu’s adventures at http://www.michellehirstius.com/