Birthdays in New Orleans
New Orleans has a gift for celebrating – so it's an amazing place to have a birthday and celebrate you!
Traditions
Colloquially, people here say you "made" your birthday like, "You made 23!" But the most unique tradition here is to pin money to your chest. The tradition’s origins are hard to trace, but the idea is that you (or someone celebrating you) safety pins a bill to your chest. All day, people – including strangers – wish you a happy birthday. Some may add money to your pin to be used for drinks, food, or some other treat.
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I’ve participated a few times and found it uplifting. It's a way of signaling to the world – it's my day! It can be fun to be walking down the street and have people greet you with wishes as you pass, or yell "Happy Birthday!" from a passing car.
Where to eat
In a city where even our gas stations serve nationally awarded food, you can have many versions of a birthday meal. Some restaurants include special touches for diners celebrating a birthday.
My favorite is the historic, multi-award-winning Commander’s Palace with their festive balloons and tall, paper chef’s hat reading, “Celebrate!”
If your festivities land on a Friday, lunch at Galatoire’s is the spot – for all the fabulous and outlandish reasons highlighted in this POST. My visit included a brass band leading a second line parade through the dining room, a fallen politician, and tables being set on fire.
Since I'm a summer baby, one of my favorite birthday meals has always been seafood – especially crabs and shrimp. Salvo’s sell both in abundance with daily all-you-can-eat specials.
The legendary Dooky Chase’s Restaurant, with its fried chicken, red beans & rice and other recipes from iconic chef, Leah Chase (the inspiration for Disney's Princess Tiana), surrounds diners with an extensive collection of African American art.
While celebrating my birthday with Richard Dreyfuss (who wrote the Foreword for my acting book, Know Small Parts), Domenica presented us with three beautifully labeled desserts.
For an inexpensive sweet treat, I love a sno-ball from Imperial Woodpecker or hand-crafted ice cream from Lucy Boone. If your birthday falls in cooler months, enjoy a plate of powdered-sugar-covered beignets with a mug of cafe au lait from historic Cafe du Monde. And year-round Piety and Desire – USA Today's #1 best chocolate shop in America – serves up incredible bonbons and their incredible drinking chocolate.
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Music
Whether you're standing on a street corner, attending one of our literally-hundreds of festivals, or at a venue – music is everywhere in New Orleans. I've spent birthdays dancing to Billy Iuso with Big Chief Monk Boudreaux at d.b.a., Prince at Essence Fest, and the Rolling Stones with local openers Dumpstaphunk and Soul Rebels at the Superdome.
Check out local radio station WWOZ’s Livewire Music Calendar to find who’s playing where on your birthday.
Shows
New Orleans has a rich burlesque history and culture. Fridays, Trixie Minx and her bawdy band of bodacious burlesquers rule The Jazz Playhouse at Royal Sonesta.
Saint John offers mimosa flights and Drag Brunch on Sundays.
In fact, seek a good time and you shall find many events happening on a given day in our city. Or sample some of our many cocktails in our many bars – like the ever-rotating Carousel Bar in the Hotel Monteleone.
Parties
New Orleans can turn anything and anywhere into a party. The Audubon Zoo has a water park weekly summertime event called Sip + Dip featuring specialty cocktails, DJ's, and a "lazy river" full of tipsy inner-tubers.
Locals enjoy porch parties, but visitors can rent out hotel pools and other local venues.
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The most elaborate use of our city as a birthday spot that I've ever witnessed was my friend Paul’s surprise 3-day concert, cuisine and culture-fest party during Mardi Gras – complete with a personalized birthday float throwing us beads and toys during one of the parades. Musicians included Dr. John, Chrissie Hynde, Gregg Allman, Joe Walsh, Robbie Robertson, Dan Ackroyd and Living Color’s Vernon Reid. Our chefs included Donald Link and Emeril. There was a ride on the Steamboat Natchez, a magic show, a reading by Carrie Fisher and so much more…
3-day birthday party
My birthday tradition
When I turned 50, I started a new tradition – my annual birthday splits photo. When I was told I had a frozen hip at 48, I felt too young and vital to be having issues with stiffening hips – so I decided I was going to try to get my splits back.
I’d been a gymnast in high school and had stayed limber for decades, but I'd let it all go. So I began stretching for an hour twice a week. It was often discouraging – especially in the beginning. I even suffered injuries (from pushing too hard) that set me back months. But by 50, I was ready for my photo. I've kept it going and by 60, got my left leg split as well! Use it or lose it!
birthday splits at 50 and this year
Happy Birthday!
Whether you hire a band to parade you around town, or sit quietly watching our world go by, New Orleans is a perfect place to celebrate yourself.
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