Bonfires on the levee in St. James Parish has been a Christmas tradition since long before any of us alive today can remember.  My father, who was born in 1918, built them with friends and family when he was a kid, and the tradition is still going strong.  Being from a rural farming area along the banks of the mighty Mississippi River, the story is that the bonfires were used to light the way for Papa Noel (Santa Clause) as he made his way through the dark and often foggy night. 

Every year, wind permitting, the bonfires are all lit together at seven in the evening.  It's a beautiful sight that draws tens of thousands of tourist to drive along the river road to view the beauty of the event.  Motorist often park and walk along the levee and are never turned away from enjoying any of the fires that have the builders and their families and friends gathered around.  Instead, they're met with a friendly, "Where you from?"

The bulk of the bonfires are built in Lutcher, Gramercy and Paulina, all on the east bank of the Mississippi.  I hope you enjoy the pictures of our 2007 bonfire.

Our community is along the mighty Mississippi river and the bonfires are built along the top of the levee that protects us from the river.  Starting at the bottom of this picture, you see the bridge railing, then where Colonial Sugar Refinery has a conveyor belt that crosses the levee.  A little farther away from the camera is a second belt crossing the levee and then if you look closely, you can see the bonfires lined up along the top of the levee.

This is a closer picture of some of them.  The bonfires number well over one hundred each year.

Construction of the bonfires usually starts while the local children are off of school for the Thanksgiving holidays.  To put the size of this bonfire in perspective you need to know that the flat-bed trailer is sixteen feet long.

Bonfires going up all along the levee.  Most years there's 130 to 150 of them in the area.

Ross, Bob, Adam and I enjoyed a walk together on the levee on December 23rd, the day before the bonfires are lit.

Building the bonfires is what this community does.  People gather on the levee and work and enjoy the company of family and friends.  Chairs and barbeque pits stay there to be used again the next evening.

Some people cover their bonfires with cane reed (switch cane) because it makes a popping sound as it burns.

My cousin Dennis was putting the finishing touches on his families bonfire with his grandsons.  (Yes, the flags are taken down prior to lighting.)

I thought the light was just right on the bonfires for a picture, but then we realized our shadows were long and intruding on the beauty of the image....

You're welcomed to come out to the levee and visit during construction.  If you park and walk around you're sure to find someone who isn't too busy to talk.  The area is well known for hospitality.  Every year, usually the first or second weekend in December, our community puts on the Bonfire Festival.  In today's world insurance is required to build these bonfires on the levee.  The proceeds from the Bonfire Festival goes towards the insurance premium on a parish-wide policy that covers everyone who will work on building a bonfire.  Without that policy, many of the families that take part in this tradition would not be able to.  We'd love to see you come out and support it at the Bonfire Festival.

We hope you all have a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!