Christmas in October? Banner slip-up gives Morgan City holiday head start

Notice how Christmas seems to come earlier every year?
That was especially true this year in Morgan City, where Merry Christmas banners went up on major streets weeks before Halloween.
Unfortunately for holiday lovers, the early appearance didn’t have much to do with Yuletide cheer.
The Morgan City Utility Department put Christmas banners up in their designated areas by mistake.
A variety of banners are displayed throughout the year. Some are about the Historic District.
“Welcome to Morgan City” banners fly eight months of the year.
Other banners advertise the Louisiana Shrimp and Petroleum Festival and November to Remember. The “Merry Christmas” banners are supposed to go up closer to the holiday season.
“The Utility Department took it upon themselves to put the banners up,” said Mayor Frank “Boo” Grizzaffi.
“It was not brought to my attention until someone pointed it out.”
Morgan City Utilities Director Bill Cefalu told the electrical crew to take down festival signs.
Protocol for the utility crew is to replace a banner immediately with another.
“They were supposed to put the ‘Historic District’ or ‘Welcome to Morgan City’ signs up,” Cefalu said. “We had two of them.
“I guess they didn’t know what to put up, so they put the Christmas one up because it’s the next season.”
With Christmas lighting in the works for November, it’s highly unlikely the banners will come down.
“I don’t think I’ll have time to change them just yet,” Cefalu said.
“If someone is not in the Christmas spirit yet, hopefully when they see the sign they’ll get in the Christmas spirit.”

This story was written by Shea Drake of The Daily Review staff. Reach her at sdrake@daily-review.com.