The wooden structures require quite a lot of work to complete. Volunteers complete the task in the afternoons, after work is done. A simple, pyramid-shaped bonfire cab take a week for two adults to construct. Complex constructions, such as a tugboat made of logs, can take a crew of adults an entire month to complete. The bonfire tradition started over 100 years ago.
Legends vary about how the tradition got started.
Others say that the lights were there to guide ships on the Mississippi River through the dangerous December fog. Still others believe the bonfires were lit by Canadian immigrants to coincide with the summer solstice. The lighting of the Christmas Eve bonfires is a tradition that attracts many visitors. Folks from as far away as Japan, England, and Sweden join the 30,000 people that visit the beautiful sites on the levee each year. All rights reserved.