Fleur de Lis - Everything Else!

The fleur-de-lis, a stylized lily or iris, is usually associated with the French monarchy, in particular with the Royal House of Bourbon. In addition, many of the French Catholic saints, especially St. Joseph, are depicted with a lily. It is said that French explorer, René-Robert Cavelier, Sieur de La Salle, who named the entire Mississippi basin La Louisiana to honor Louis XIV, planted a fleur-de-lis flag at the mouth of the Mississippi river.

In New Orleans the popularity of the symbol probably comes from some of these origins, since it represents a tie to the city’s French heritage.