Country Roads Magazine "The Holiday Traditions Issue" December 2022

Light the Levees

Christmas arrives in the River Parishes with a spectacle like no other

Kelsey Villeret

The air is frigid—or as close to frigid as a Louisiana win ter gets. Carols pour forth from the radio as the sun sets behind the levee. The parking lot in front of St. Peter’s Church in Reserve is full of life and laughter as River Par ish families gather to eat jambalaya with gloved hands and set up their flimsy fab ric lawn chairs.

Fathers and sons stand next to their creations—massive towers of driftwood stacked neatly into triangles pointing to the sky. Everyone waits eagerly for night fall. The pyres line the ridge of the levee, casting shadows as dusk officially settles in.

For as long as there is recorded history, the Christmas Eve bonfires have been a niche staple of the River Parishes’ culture. Their precise origin is unclear, though most people believe that the practice dates to the 1700s. The original purpose of the bonfires is the subject of specula tion, attributed to traditions as diverse as French-German celebrations and meth ods of guiding ships safely along the Mis sissippi River. While Old World French and German settlers were known to light bonfires in honor of St. John the Baptist for being a “lantern of light,” the custom was most likely reintroduced to the River Parishes by French immigrants during the nineteenth century. However, for locals today, the bonfires serve a very par ticular purpose: to catch the eye of Papa Noël.

Photo by Sidney Donaldson, courtesy of the Festival of the Bonfires in Lutcher, Louisiana.

John D. Hymel of Garyville has been building bonfires every Christmas since he was a child. Growing up on River Road, he and his family enjoyed ample access to the large supply of Mississippi driftwood needed to build.

“The most basic bonfire starts with a strong middle pole,” Hymel explained. “That’s the first step. After that comes four side poles that lean onto the middle one, and a cross shape at the top to hold it all together.”

Bonfire building is dangerous work. Having a faulty base could lead to the tower toppling over while the builder is packing up the inside, or worse—after it’s been lit. Today, there are more restric tions surrounding the building process than there once were. But before state officials lowered the height limit to fifteen feet in 2014, there were frequent injuries caused by falling driftwood due to dis proportionate building.

Hymel explained that a properly constructed bonfire pyre should burn evenly from top to bottom, like a melt ing candle. He stressed that there is only one chance to light it correctly so that it burns safely. The method has become key facet of the tradition: lighting a Roman candle and aiming it at the tower so that the flames shoot directly toward the center. Usually, the builder will perform the honors of starting the fire, but young sons are often granted permission to take over that task if they helped with the building process. Proper packing of the structure will ensure that a slightly inaccurate shot won’t ruin the entire event. Once the flame starts, it will usually last from six to eight hours—plenty of time for Papa Noël to visit all the houses along the river.

Photo by Boone Clemens, courtesy of the Louisiana River Parishes Tourist Commission.

A permit is required to build on the levee, and building does not begin until the week leading up to Christmas Eve. Even with safety precautions in place, the fire department can still cancel the burning mere hours before the event if the wind is unfavorable. This is incred ibly rare, though, and one of the only times that the event was canceled during my lifetime was in 2020 as a result of the pandemic.

Garyville, Hymel’s hometown, is proud to hold the record for the world’s largest bonfire. Built back in 1979, the legendary bonfire maxed out at an impressive seventy-eight feet tall. It was the first bonfire (and one of the few since) to require heavy-duty machinery to com plete. To this day, most bonfires are built the old-fashioned way.

For locals like Hymel, the tradition connects one generation to the next, and has become a huge part of his own cultural identity as a woodworker—a hobby for which he often uses the same driftwood from behind the levee. “It’s a way for families to come together,” he said. “I grew up doing it with my dad, and now I build them with my own family. It makes good memories for the kids.”

A new era of the River Parishes bon fires began in the winter of 2013, when the local group Blood Sweat and Bonfires started gaining popularity on Facebook for their extravagant bonfire designs. Some of their builds over the years have included a guitar, a crab, a rocket ship, and even a snapping turtle whose beak could open and close.

The group is made up of twelve men, all of whom share a passion for the unique Southern tradition. Joshua Weidert said he and the other members come up with their ideas each year by brainstorming on the levee with a few beers.

Weidert explained that the tradition has resulted in a tourist culture in the River Parishes—something these small towns between New Orleans and Baton Rouge are otherwise less accustomed to. “We’ve met people from all over the world now,” he said, citing visitors from thirty-two states and nine countries. “Everyone wants to see what new design we’re going to have next.”

These designs are kept a secret for as long as possible, usually up until most of the building has been completed. Weidert has given Country Roads an early reveal for their 2022 design, however: The American Bullfrog will wear the fiery crown this year.

While the bonfires have long served as a way for families to spend time together during the holidays, all are welcome to drive down River Road and witness for themselves the stunning tableau of this centuries-old tradition.

Imagining the view from above, the line of fire stretches all the way from St. James Parish to St. Charles Parish. As the night grows older and the flames con tinue to rise, children will tire of play ing and fall asleep in their mothers’ laps, visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads.

Plan your trip to “Bonfire Country” this holiday season by visiting lariverparishes. com/bonfirecountry.