Many places throughout the United States have wonderful Christmas traditions. From viewing the giant tree and ice skating at Rockefeller Center in New York City to the luminarias in Santa Fe and Taos, New Mexico; but this is one perhaps you haven't heard about. Every year for the past 30 years in Lutcher, Louisiana, the town has lit bonfires in anticipation to the lighting of hundreds of bonfires on Christmas Eve. The event is called the Festival of the Bonfires. It takes place December 13-15th and has food, live entertainment, crafts, as well as, of course, bonfires.
"The Festival is like a sneak peak at the big event," says President of the Festival of the Bonfires, Jamie Vicknair, "And it has been a great tourism draw to St. James Parish." Every night, a single bonfire will be lit. "We think we'll have a great turnout this year, especially if the weather is great," says Vicknair.
Nowadays the tradition of bonfires during the Christmas season is said to "light the way for Papa Noel," according to Vicknair. Papa Noel is the French version of Santa Claus, known as "Father Christmas," but in Cajun country, it is told a little differently. Papa Noel in Cajun country lives in the swamps of Louisiana and instead of reindeer to pull his sleigh through the snow, he has alligators that pull his boat down the Mississippi. According to a children's story on Papa Noel, there are eight alligators, the lead being a snowy white one named Nicollette. Papa Noel uses the bonfires to guide his boat down the Mississippi and give toys to all the children along the way.
One of the hundreds of bonfire locations along the river's road. [Photo/Sidney Donaldson Photography]
According to a fascinating article by Emily Chenet Guidry, the tradition of bonfires goes back much further though. For centuries, bonfires were an ancient Celtic custom of building a large fire to honor the sun. "To pay homage to this great source of power and light, fires were built at the time of the winter and summer solstices," writes Guidry.
When ancient Druid beliefs were taken over by Christianity, the fires incorporated Christian beliefs into the use of fire rituals. According to the article, "In June 1988, just prior to the Feast of St. John the Baptist, members of a local historical and genealogical group visited the region of Alsace, the homeland of many of their ancestors. Throughout the French countryside they saw countless bonfires which, although richer in symbolism, were almost identical in size and regular pyramidal construction to St. James Parish’s own traditional Christmas Eve levee bonfires."
As mentioned, the Festival of the Bonfires is the prelude to the Christmas Eve bonfires that line the river road. “There are hundreds of bonfires on Christmas Eve,” says Vicknair. This spectacle draws thousands to the area and gives everyone a unique way to celebrate the holiday. The article says that, along with the playful idea of lighting the way for Papa Noel, the original bonfires in St. James Parish were said to help river traffic and/or show the way to Midnight Mass, as Christmas was a strictly religious holiday in South Louisiana. The fires have been documented in the area since the late 1800s.
“It is such a fun event. Along with the bonfires, people that live on the river road open their homes to everyone and share food and community,” Vicknair says. Hundreds of bonfires are lit at the same time on Christmas Eve and create a beautiful sight.
People who have been in the past recommend it highly. One review states, “The Bonfires on the Levee is an AWESOME annual event that happens Christmas Eve in St. James Parish. Several local families and strangers alike get together and try to outdo each other every year and build the biggest, baddest, and longest burning bonfire...The families spend an insane amount of time and money building these bonfires and they have to meet certain specifications and codes. They also get creative and some put firecrackers and sparklers in them and make them special.” People say that it is good to park on the main street of Lutcher and then walk for about a half a mile to where the bonfires are as parking and driving along the levee is extremely slow.
South Louisiana and its French influence is truly a unique experience in the United States. Any time of year, a visit to Baton Rouge or New Orleans provides Americans with a visit that seems to be one of a different country, but December is truly magical. If you are down Louisiana’s way on the second weekend of December, go check out the Festival of the Bonfires for yourself in Lutcher. Who knows? It might convince you to stick around a few more weeks and see the main event.