Before Louisiana Had Santa Claus, Cajuns Had ‘The Little January Man’

LAFAYETTE, La. (KMDL-FM) - Before Santa Claus made his way down to South Louisiana, Acadiana was visited by a different guy who dropped off presents to good little Cajun boys and girls.

Have you ever heard of Le Petit Bonhomme Janvier?

It's considered to be one of Acadiana's dying Cajun traditions.

Let's take a look at legend of Louisiana's The Little January Man.

Louisiana Le Petit Bonhomme Janvier

According to bringinghomeezra.blogspot.com, the idea of Santa Claus hopping down the chimney to leave presents for good boys and girls wasn't even a thing in Acadiana until the late 1800s and even into the early 1900s in some places around Cajun Country.

It wasn't Santa bringing goodies, but instead Le Petit Bonhomme Janvier, which translates into "The Little January Man".

Instead of Christmas morning on December 25, Le Petit Bonhomme Janvier would leave things at the beginning of a new year. If children had behaved well during the year, he would leave goodies for them on New Year’s Eve: fruit, nuts, candy, small toys, or trinkets, often placed in shoes, stockings, or sometimes hidden around the house.

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If little Cajun children had been pas bon all year, Le Petit Bonhomme Janvier would leave "something not good" like ashes in their shoes or stockings.

Although the holiday tradition of Le Petit Bonhomme Janvier has definitely faded through the decades, there are still families in Acadiana who are keeping the tradition alive.

Le Petit Bonhomme Janvier: The Little January Man

Author Cornell P. Landry has written a book titled Le Petit Bonhomme Janvier: The Little January Man to help keep this Cajun tradition alive.

The book, illustrated by Sean Gautreaux, was first published back in 2011.

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In this telling of the tradition, the Little January Man stays with the family for several days and plays with children’s toys often leftover from Christmas, and he loves to sneak around and hide things. Each night, the family leaves treats like food, candy, and other goodies for him under the Christmas tree. The next morning, plates are found “licked clean,” a sign that the Little Man has enjoyed them.

You can read more about Le Petit Bonhomme Janvier, the Little January Man, over at bringinghomeezra.blogspot.com, and you can buy the book over at amazon.com.