St. Louis Cemetery #1 - New Orleans, LA (The Gravesite of Marie Laveau)

300 North Claiborne Ave.

New Orleans, LA 70112

29.959107,-90.071276

www.arch-no.org

As unique as New Orleans food, architecture and overall way of living, so are its cemeteries. Used in many types of artwork and for backdrops in numerous movies, there is definitely a certain lore that cannot be found anywhere else. Huge ornate crypts lined in rows seem to come alive at times, with a unique amount of personal touches often added to them. Obviously, the wealthier the family, the more luxurious and decorative the tombs were. Above ground burials in New Orleans are the basic norm. Most people think the sole reason for this is due to the low-lying land, as no one wants to see the deceased pop out the ground after the first good flood. Although that is a major reason, this method of burial is equally associated with French and Spanish tradition.

Strolling through any given cemetery in the city, it appears that there is no such thing as a new cemetery or even a new grave for that matter, as everything seems to be so old. One of the reasons for this is, quite simply, the fact that they are all that old! Burial land in New Orleans lessens while people continue dying. As time goes, the gap grows! Most families have been forced to recycle most tombs, which is another advantage to having above ground crypts. Poor old Grandma Edna has been at rest for forty years. She was loved, she will be missed, but she needs to scoot over and make room for Uncle Normand. Bluntly put, but it is true; the older remains are often shoved down a back compartment to allow a new casket to be put in its place.

Inn on St. Anne - New Orleans, LA (The Home of Marie Laveau)

1013 Saint Anne St.

New Orleans, LA 70116

29.960915,-90.066964

http://www.frenchquarterguesthouses.com/stann-en.html

*Photos courtesy of www.frenchquarterguesthouses.com  
           When people think of New Orleans, one of the first things they think of, other than the Saints of course, is Voodoo. For centuries, Voodoo has played a prominent part in the culture that makes up the Crescent City in addition to other parts of the state. The religion originated from the west African Yoruba people who lived in eighteenth and nineteenth century Dahomey. Slaves brought their religion with them when they were forcibly shipped to Haiti and other islands in the West Indies. Hoodoo refers to African traditional folk magic. A rich magical tradition which was indigenous to ancient African cultures, its practice was imported when mainly West Africans were enslaved and brought to the United States. As the practice seemed too taboo, slaves were banned from practicing the religion, so they looked for ways to mask it. As mentioned earlier with Magnolia Plantation, they did so by incorporating large amounts of French and Spanish Catholicism into their worship, which is why many of the Voodoo Lwa, or Gods, are symbolized by Catholic Saints such as St. Peter, St. Michael and St. Christopher.