![Lighting of the Bonfires on Christmas Eve in St. James Parish gets the greenlight for 2021](https://media-cdn.socastsrm.com/wordpress/wp-content/blogs.dir/2176/files/2021/11/bonfire-st-james-2.jpeg)
Bonfires on the levee, courtesy of St. James Parish
The longtime Louisiana Christmas tradition of the Lighting of Bonfires is officially back on the calendar after being extinguished last year due to the pandemic. St James Parish President Pete Dufresne said the Christmas Eve pastime of lighting the way for Papa Noel has been a community event for decades.
“But it’s been such a spectacular event it’s been drawing tourists from far and wide for the last several years, and it’s something that we’re proud of here in St. James Parish,” said Dufresne.
Dufresne said canceling it last year was the most difficult thing he’s had to do as parish president and he is overjoyed the event finally can be held again this year, weather permitting.
“Let’s just be thankful that we got past the COVID, and that we can begin to bring life back to the St. James Parish residents and to the community and some sense of normalcy,” said Dufresne.
The Parish will begin issuing permits for the bonfires at the Parish Welcome Center on November 20th and the bonfire season runs from November 21st to December 27th. As for Christmas Eve Dufresne said they are lit at 7 PM and thousands come to witness it.
“Visitors come from far and wide, and it’s just a huge spectacle, lasts for a few hours and everyone goes home and prepares for Christmas morning,” said Dufresne.
As for when the tradition began in southeast Louisiana, Dufresne said that’s a hard question to answer but well over a century ago.
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