Boone Clemmons
The Christmas Eve Bonfires of the Louisiana River Parishes are a beloved regional tradition.
We live in a place sustained by tradition. It’s what connects each of us to our ancestors, to our cultures—and in the brilliant diversity of Louisiana’s mixing pot, tradition offers an avenue to celebrate the things that separate us from the rest of the world, as well as a practice of preserving them. Boone Clemmons manages to capture so much of this sentiment in the photograph we’ve chosen for our December cover—a vision of warmth, community, craftsmanship, and celebration surrounding a tradition that’s been practiced for generations: the River Parish’s Christmas Eve bonfires.
In considering the best way to close out the 39th volume of Country Roads, the prompt of “Traditions” for this final issue of 2022 seemed so rich in possibility—particularly around the context of the holidays, and all the magic they inspire. Our features section in this issue spotlights three distinctly Louisiana holiday traditions—a festival, a feast, and a folktale. Each has elusive origins, but is understood to be at least a century old. And each survives, sustained by the excitement and wonder inspired by treasured things handed down from one generation to the next.
However you celebrate this holiday season, know that we at Country Roads are honored to be a part of your traditions this year, and for many years to come.
