Bonfires on the Levee

[18thVirginia]

A Louisiana Christmas tradition that one doesn't hear much about is something called "Bonfires on the Levee." It's a tradition that comes from the River Parishes, between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. There are several explanations for the bonfires, from a tradition that dates back to winter solstice celebrations in Europe to a cajun tradition of guiding Papa Noel to navigate his pirogue down the River to the right place.

One explanation that I've read that relates to our 13th Amendment discussions is that Christmas was a time when the rules for slaves were relaxed on the large plantations and that originally, the bonfires were to keep the areas around the Mississippi River visible. Many slaves made their escapes by hiding around the boats anchored at docks on the Mississippi and then paying someone who delivered goods to the plantations to secrete them on their vessel. Or by stealing a boat themselves. The parish most associated with the Bonfires is St. James, which is where the great sugar plantations were clustered alongside the River. It's also an area with historically a large Old World French and German populations--so perhaps the Bonfires were a convenient mixture of several traditions.

The bonfires were originally traditions of families, with a fire built on the batture, the land between the base of Levee and the water's edge of the River. Today, they've been a large local tradition and celebration up and down the River and a tourist attraction. In the 1800s, it's reported that some bonfires were built of shipping crates, but today they're carefully constructed pyramidal structures.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/736x/07/51/6a/07516a1a9b91cec94480429416dca263.jpg

 

[18thVirginia]

Papa Noel and his alligator drawn pirogue.

https://www.pinterest.com/pin/49047083415959027/

 

[18thVirginia]

Oak Alley Bonfire Celebration


http://www.oakalleyplantation.com/events/2015-annual-christmas-bonfire-party

 

[18thVirginia]

 

[18thVirginia]

Oak Alley Christmas tree

http://www.guidebookamerica.com/news/oak_alley_plantation_holiday_events/oakalleyinterior.jpg

 

[18thVirginia]

At Laura Plantation, like Oak Alley, also along the River in St. James Parish.

 

[18thVirginia]

Christmas at Nottoway Plantation

http://www.nottoway.com/html/nottoway-holidays-2015.htm

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

Never heard of these of these-but they do remind me of the tradition in the UK where beacon fires are lit from high points on the moors in Somerset, near the Southern coast to gosh, I forget where. Dates from maybe prehistoric times to WW2, signaling invasion, now lit by way of celebrations. Really gives you chills to see it because it's just so old.

Who knows. Maybe the Mississippi fires had some root in beacon fires of old Europe. That's probably just me hoping it has nothing to do with the enslaved thing- still- the structure is the same.

 

[Patrick H]

This looks like an interesting tradition--and a good excuse for an outdoor party. I've gotta say, though, that I don't want to see Papa Noel's 'gators on my roof!

 

[Private Watkins]

Papa Noel and his alligator drawn pirogue.

"Now Thrasher! Now Killer!
Now Ripper and Gnasher!
On, Fang! On, Chomper!
On, Gulper and Slasher!
To the Top of the Levee,
To the Bottom of the Swamp,
Now swim away, swim away,
Swim away all!"

 

[18thVirginia]

Never heard of these of these-but they do remind me of the tradition in the UK where beacon fires are lit from high points on the moors in Somerset, near the Southern coast to gosh, I forget where. Dates from maybe prehistoric times to WW2, signaling invasion, now lit by way of celebrations. Really gives you chills to see it because it's just so old.

Who knows. Maybe the Mississippi fires had some root in beacon fires of old Europe. That's probably just me hoping it has nothing to do with the enslaved thing- still- the structure is the same.

The tradition probably does have French and Germanic European antecedents. The area around this part of the River was called "The German Coast" because of the German settlers there in the 1700s. It's also the region of the huge sugar plantations and a guess is that it probably was a combination of the two traditions, that of giving slaves more laxity during the Christmas season, which was also a down-time in sugar planting and production and the old winter solstice celebrations of Europe.

But both traditions emphasize an important fact of life in antebellum Louisiana--life revolved around the Mississippi River. Like Papa Noel, those who were enslaved and those who were free--all arrived at the plantations by boat.

 

[Nathanb1]

Never heard of these of these-but they do remind me of the tradition in the UK where beacon fires are lit from high points on the moors in Somerset, near the Southern coast to gosh, I forget where. Dates from maybe prehistoric times to WW2, signaling invasion, now lit by way of celebrations. Really gives you chills to see it because it's just so old.

Who knows. Maybe the Mississippi fires had some root in beacon fires of old Europe. That's probably just me hoping it has nothing to do with the enslaved thing- still- the structure is the same.

Annie, I do sure suspect the European tradition is foremost. If you haven't been to Louisiana, the importance of that heritage is overwhelming. The river was their main street...that's why the main entrance of many plantations faced rivers (think Mount Vernon).

And as a communication thing....as in Europe.

 

[Nathanb1]

Oops...late as usual! Enjoying this, 18th Virginia! My daughter and son in law went to NO a few years ago for Christmas...and did the bonfire thing. My hairdresser's husband actually grew up at Oak Alley.

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

Thought so! The beacons were lit for turn of the millennia- sorry to have missed that. Good to know old Europe stayed around here, isn't it? Or anywhere else we floated in from- you never, ever get tired of bumping into America's unexpected corners from cellar to attic.

Those beacons have always fascinated me- especially how ancient they are so this American tradition gets to be, too. The one near where I lived on Exmoor, UK was Dunkery- crazy pretty up there albeit windy and wild, couldn't have changed much through hundreds and hundreds of years.

"Dunkery Beacon sits at the summit of Dunkery hill, more than 500m above sea level. The area has been visited by humans since the Bronze Age and has burial mounds dotted near the summit. There are also two Iron-Age hill forts and an abandoned medieval settlement lower down."
http://www.whitehartfarm.com/exmoor-and-dunkery-beacon/

Below Dunkery, way below but you can see other points on the moors where another beacon was lit, carrying message of invasion ( or celebration ) across the entire island.

Beacon marker, Dunkery Beacon, Somerset