the Saints’ season, said Diane Champagne of Gheens, a diehard Dat.
Saints mania has spread throughout local yards, homes and hearths.
The most visible signs of a Saints holiday takeover come in the form of Christmas trees, covered in black and gold ribbons and bows,cheap nfl jerseys fleur de lis and Saints jerseys.
A number of local Saints fans said this marks the first season they decorate their family tree in Who Dat dcor, much of it homemade.
Crystal Loga of Thibodaux said she and her husband, Dustin, decided to decorate Saints style go along with the happiness we’re getting from them winning. Loga family spread black and gold ornaments throughout their tree this year, topping it with a Saints themed Santa hat in place of a star.
loves it, Crystal said.
Loga became a Saints fan about 10 years ago, inspired by her mother in law, an avid fan who grew up in Metairie near the Saints’ practice field.
The Logas’ son, Dylan, who turns 4 in January, is already showing signs of Saints fever, so the couple didn’t think he would mind a Who Dat invasion on his tree.
really enjoys watching the games and yelling and screaming with us, Crystal Loga said.
Robin LeBlanc of Bayou Blue, a lifelong Saints fan, said she likewise decorated her tree in handmade black and gold and fleur de lis this season honor of the Saints and to show our pride in being diehard Saints fans. A black fleur de lis sprayed with gold glitter tops the tree.
will leave my Christmas tree up this year until the Saints win the Super Bowl, because we know that they will, LeBlanc said.
Constant of Thibodaux said this marks her first go at a Saints themed holiday, but she didn’t have to look far for black and gold home dcor. She and her husband, Mike, dug into their cache of Saints goodies, collected over years of following the team.
didn’t have to buy one thing, Thibodaux said. looks beautiful. said she’s no rookie when it comes to decorating in black and gold, but the Saints’ successes prompted her to add more Who Dat flavor to her home’s holiday look.
Christmas trees in her garage, a place already bursting with Saints memorabilia, are covered in gold ribbons and bows, miniature Saints helmets, Saints candy canes and other black and gold trappings.
Champagne, family and friends gather weekly in the garage to cheer on the Saints, now with holiday flair, such as the trees and black and gold stockings hanging above a decked out artificial fireplace.
follow the Saints as if it were a lifestyle, Sobert said. roommate who is from California and not a football fan at all gave me free reign to decorate our house. Christmas tree, home and door reflect her lifelong love for the Saints, partly with help from a Saints holiday care package sent to her by a family member in Covington.
is nice to have the team we have this year, it just makes the holiday season a little more merry, Sobert said.
Saints holiday decorations have also spread into yards and front doors with inflatables, wreaths and banners.
Carol Matherne of Raceland added a black and gold Christmas wreath and a banner proclaiming and Gold Super Bowl to her dcor this year.
After each Saints win, Matherne and other family members load up in a truck, sometimes with neighbors ranging in age from children to seniors, and parade through the neighborhood, honking the horn and playing Saints music.
This month, the neighborhood Dat parade has included free Christmas ornaments and Santa Claus, Matherne said.
Local businesses and their employees have also come down with Saints fever, including staff at the Lafourche Parish Health Unit in Thibodaux, where a black and gold tree sits front and center this year.
Staff started decorating their annual Christmas tree in late October, a month earlier than usual, because had Saints fever, said Kathy Joubert, nursing supervisor.
The fever has also spread to South Louisiana Medical Associates, a medical billing and coding service affiliated with Leonard J. Chabert Medical Center in Houma.
Staff decorate a Christmas tree in different themes each year. This year’s theme: Saintsational Christmas. think it’s very creative. Southdown Gardens in Houma put up its first Saints themed tree this year, a seven to eight foot juniper covered in fleur de lis, said Christine Martin, a grower in the nursery. just all on fire for them, Martin said.
Saints fever has infected even the most resistant this Christmas season.
Bobby Adams of Houma said his wife, Jackie, had never shown interest in football in their 27 years of marriage until now.
This year, Jackie surprised her husband by not only watching the Saints play, but dedicating their Christmas tree to the team.
