CANCELED: Christmas Eve Bonfires

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wikimedia commons user Mtortorich

This Christmas tradition, which plays out in river communities up and down the Mississippi, is a little difficult to pin down to a single town. For centuries, settlements lining the river have marked Christmas Eve by lighting tall bonfires atop the levees to guide Papa Noël as he unburdens his sleigh-load—or pirogue-load—of gifts into the stockings of good children. The bonfire tradition will be fired up once again on Christmas Eve in various locales along the river. Although many communities between Baton Rouge and New Orleans light bonfires, if you had to pick an epicenter you'd probably put it in St. James Parish, where more than one hundred bonfires will be lit up and down the river levees at around one-block intervals between Gramercy, Lutcher, Paulina, and Reserve. Thousands come out to enjoy the show, which generally bursts into flames around 7 pm and can last into the very early hours of Christmas morning. Highway 3193 seems to be a good starting point. louisianatravel.com/blog/louisiana-christmas-tradition-bonfires-levee.