It’s crawfish time here in the Deep South swamp. My son-in-law pulled out the boiling pot, bought huge sacks of live crawfish, and invited family and friends for the feast.
If you’ve never had crawfish, you need to put it onto your bucket list of experiences. Crawfish are called “mud bugs” because they create their nesting places in mounds of mud. They are shellfish, so there’s that. Bottom dwellers. I don’t let that bother me while I’m peeling, dipping, and eating.
My grandson Leo created habitats with his friends for their new pets. I think they even named them. I hope he didn’t sleep with them, but it’s harmless fun and a cultural part of being raised in south Louisiana.
Crawfish boils are a tradition around the Easter season. While we are not Catholic, many families in this area are. Catholics don’t eat meat on Fridays in Lent. Many seafood places advertise “Lenten special: All you can eat!” My husband laughs at this because it’s not much of a sacrifice to eat crawfish and drink beer.
I was pleasantly surprised when my illustrator, Drew Beech, added a spread to my board book that showed the family at a crawfish boil.
What are some of the ways your family gathers?
Reflections on the Teche 