Not everyone who lives in Louisiana is Cajun. The Cajun culture of Louisiana, however, will welcome just about anyone and everyone to the "party" with open arms and a plate full of food. It's who "we" are. I used the quotes around the word "we" because I wasn't born Cajun by the grace of God, I have become that by the grace of those who truly are Cajun.

Let's just say when you're in Cajun Country, it's pretty easy to get "immersed" in the culture and other things too.

Courtesy SLEMCO via Facebook
Courtesy SLEMCO via Facebook
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Sure Cajuns get poked fun at when we are portrayed in movies and on TV. I think for most real Cajuns they're not offended by the awful accents and acting. They are more bemused by some Hollywood pretty boy pretending to be what he isn't. Why yes, I might be thinking of Adam Sandler at the moment, why do you ask?

adam sandler
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And while there are certain stereotypes and associations that are always brought to mind when the word Cajun is used, not all of them are true. For example, Cajun food is spicy is one that almost everyone who isn't from here would say is true. It's not. Cajun food is well seasoned and if your Poughkeepsie palate is too tender to taste food the way it was meant to be cooked, well go on back to your bland bowl of corn stew and congealed salad and raw almonds.

Nuts, Legumes and Flax
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But Cajun isn't all about food. It's about life and more so living a meaningful life. A life where joy is found in the simplest things and a stranger won't stay a stranger for more than a few minutes. We think that's why we are on the planet. We are supposed to "die while we are living and not live while we're dead".

Festival International de Louisiane, Facebook
Festival International de Louisiane, Facebook
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You could say our joie de vivre is truly our "superpower" as a culture, but what about on an individual basis? So here are some of our favorite answers to the question we asked, What's your Cajun Superpower?

How Many of These Cajun Superpowers Do You Have?

 

 

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