On dem first day of Christmas, my true love she gave to me:
A crawfish in a fig tree.

Tee Jules (Jules d’Hemecourt IV) recites his “Cajun 12 days of Christmas”. Mr d’Hemecourt passed away on 02.12.2008. In His memory I post this for people near and far to hear.  His Cajun accent may be hard for some to understand so the words can be found below the video clip.

Lyrics to “The Cajun Twelve Days of Christmas”

On dem second day of Christmas, my true love she gave to me:
Two voodoo dolls
And a crawfish in a fig tree.

On dem third day of Christmas my true love she gave to me:
Three stuffed shrimp,
Two voodoo dolls,
And a crawfish in a fig tree.

On dem fourth day of Christmas, my true love she gave to me:
Four pousse cafe’,
Three stuffed shrimp,
Two voodoo dolls,
And a crawfish in a fig tree.

On dem fifth day of Christmas,
I could not believe in all my days what she come up with:
Five poules d’eau,
Four pousse cafe’,
Three stuffed shrimp,
Two voodoo dolls,
And a crawfish in a fig tree.

On dem sixth day of Christmas, my true love she gave to me:
Six cypress knees,
Five poules d’eau,
Four pousse cafe’,
Three stuffed shrimp,
Two voodoo dolls,
And a crawfish in a fig tree.

On dem seventh day of Christmas, my true love she gave to me:
Seven fleur de lis,
Six cypress knees,
Five poules d’eau,
Four pousse cafe’,
Three stuffed shrimp,
Two voodoo dolls,
And a crawfish in a fig tree.

On dem eighth day of Christmas, my true love she gave to me:
Eight crabs a brewin’,
Seven fleur de lis,
Six cypress knees,
Five poules d’eau,
Four pousse cafe’,
Three stuffed shrimp,
Two voodoo dolls,
And a crawfish in a fig tree.

On dem ninth day of Christmas, my true love she gave to me:
Nine oysters stewin’,
Eight crabs a brewin’,
Seven fleur de lis,
Six cypress knees,
Five poules d’eau,
Four pousse cafe’,
Three stuffed shrimp,
Two voodoo dolls,
And a crawfish in a fig tree.

On dem tenth day of Christmas, my true love she gave to me:
Ten pirogue paddles,
Nine oysters stewin’,
Eight crabs a brewin’,
Seven fleur de lis,
Six cypress knees,
Five poules d’eau,
Four pousse cafe’,
Three stuffed shrimp,
Two voodoo dolls,
And a crawfish in a fig tree.

On dem eleventh day of Christmas, my true love she gave to me:
Eleven duck decoys,
Ten pirogue paddles,
Nine oysters stewin’,
Eight crabs a brewin’,
Seven fleur de lis,
Six cypress knees,
Five poules d’eau,
Four pousse cafe’,
Three stuffed shrimp,
Two voodoo dolls,
And a crawfish in a fig tree.

On dem twelveth day of Christmas, my true love she gave to me:
Twelve shotgun shells,
Eleven duck decoys,
Ten pirogue paddles,
Nine oysters stewin’,
Eight crabs a brewin’,
Seven fleur de lis,
Six cypress knees,
Five poules d’eau,
Four pousse cafe’, Three stuffed shrimp,
Two voodoo dolls,
And a crawfish in a fig tree.

** Notes: a pirogue (pronounced pee-roh) is a flat-bottomed canoe; fleur de lis is the flower of the french kings and the New Orleans Saints football symbol; cypress knees are the roots of a cypress tree that sticks out of the water; poules d’eau (pronounced pool-doh) is chicken or hen of the water – ie: a coot or duck; pousse café (pronounced poose kaffay) layered drink composed of several layers of differently colored liqueurs; and Cajuns are the French Acadians that live in southern Louisiana.

From our Cajun family to whatever your family is, Merry Christmas!