Every child, naughty and nice alike, knows that Santa Claus makes his home at the North Pole.
But for a generation of local children, the jolly old elfâs Crescent City headquarters was at Piffetâs, a âvariety and curiosityâ store that, especially during the holidays, was as synonymous with Christmas in 19th-century New Orleans as Mr. Bingle is now.
âThe name was associated with what was considered one of the largest toy stores in the South,â according to a 1922 article in The Times-Picayune. â⦠Promise of a toy from Piffetâs would quiet the most fretful child.â
That 1922 article went on to recount a two-line, only-in-New-Orleans lullaby that was said to be deployed frequently to lull children to sleep: âGo to sleep, baby, and donât you cry; Iâll buy you a toy from Piffetâs by and by.â