New Orleans Christmas song about beignets becomes internet sensation

Kenny Lopez
·2 min read

NEW ORLEANS (WGNO) — There’s a brand-new Christmas carol with New Orleans flavor that’s going viral. The new song, “Santa Don’t Want Your Cookies” is what Santa Claus really wants for Christmas! So, what does Santa want for Christmas instead of cookies? This song claims it must be beignets!

T-shirt shop and New Orleans goods store, Dirty Coast, asked musician Pat Smith to come up with an original Christmas jingle with its merchandise featured in the video.

“They gave me a 48-hour timeline to write the jingle. So, I thought after that Santa does all his work on Christmas Eve. Where would he want to be on Christmas Day? Probably in the French Quarter,” Smith said.

That’s how “Santa Don’t Want Your Cookies” magically came to be.

“I really thought if I was Santa, you never really know if you are getting a chocolate chip cookie or a raisin cookie, so beignets are far less confusing than cookies,” Smith said.

The tune’s lyrics say that Santa doesn’t want cookies. In fact, he wants beignets, and New Orleans is the place for jolly Santa to get some beloved beignets.

Smith’s anti-cookie anthem has become a viral hit. The music video’s creator and director with Triple Threat Media, Jessica Mixon, said with the concept of Santa wanting beignets, it doesn’t get more New Orleans than that.

“One thing I find about this song is that it is not like other songs. It is completely original. There’s nothing here that you’ve heard in another Christmas song before,” Mixon said.

Why beignets and not pralines, Hubig’s Pies or bread budding?

“Santa’s been all around the world. He needs beignets. He can only get them here. Beignets slay or sleigh,” Mixon said.

So, remember kids, Santa doesn’t want your cookies. He wants a beignet!

Watch the full music video:

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