What the hell is a Ragin’ Cajun? Glad you asked. Traditionally, Cajuns are Louisianans who descend from French-speaking Acadians. Acadia was a colonial territory in northeastern North America that included parts of Quebec and modern-day New England.
In the Great Expulsion of 1755, the British deported around 5,000 Acadians and many later settled in French Louisiana, where they became known as Cajuns. Today, the descendents of those people make up a significant portion of Louisiana’s population and have exerted a tremendous impact on the state’s culture. Ragin’ – from raging – is kind of like putting ‘fighting’ in front of a team name. Meanwhile, the apostrophe in Ragin’ is often drawn as a cayenne pepper, a vital ingredient in Cajun cuisine.
The design in the middle of the emblem is the fleur-de-lis, originally used as a symbol of the French monarchy often associated with areas settled by France. So just think of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish, but French, with spicy cooking, and there you go: Louisiana’s Ragin’ Cajuns! It rhymes.
Paula George • Mar 19, 2023 at 7:30 pm
That’s a pretty good description. But you cannot experience the Cajun culture without traveling to southern Louisiana preferably on the back roads by automobile, seeing beautiful cypress trees lining each side of the highway, draped with indigenous, grayish, green moss dangling from the limbs over the swampy water. All the while, watching for a pirogue lazily weaving through cypress stumps, and watching for an occasional alligator. After arriving at your destination, the first thing you’ll notice is their unique accent and friendliness. The vast variety of cuisine will cause you to contemplate an extension of your stay. The music is a bit unusual, and you will want to ask about a “squeeze box”. There are lovely Magnolias and Live Oaks that are evergreen, and if lining streets will form natural ‘tunnels’.
There is much more to explore, enjoy and experience. written by (Native of Louisiana)
John Stamos • Sep 22, 2023 at 1:07 pm
ew