Holiday Countdown

Day 17: Fire

Author: Roslynn Haley is a senior majoring in Biology and History and a Museum Advisory Council member.

Bonfires on the Levee is a Christmas tradition that exists in Louisiana today. Though Europeans (primarily from Germany and France) who settled in the area in the 18th century were familiar with winter bonfires, debates still exist about when exactly it was first practiced in the United States. It’s possible the tradition was only reintroduced later by 19th century French and German immigrants.

After Thanksgiving, groups of family and friends build these bonfires along the levees of the Mississippi River. They are lit on Christmas Eve. These bonfires commemorate and pay tribute to the various histories of the region’s past. Today, the tradition is also a popular event that draws in not just the local community, but tourists as well.

The reason for this tradition will change depending on who you ask, from community celebration to religious ritual. Some locals say it is to light the way for Papa Noel (a version of Santa Claus in Louisiana Cajun culture). Others claim the fires were built to light the way for Midnight Mass. Whichever you believe, the Bonfires on the Levee are a tradition which everyone should see!

Image Credits:

• Christmas Eve bonfires along the Mississippi River. Eira Tansey. Wikimedia Commons.