Bonfires light way for Papa Noel A Christmas Eve tradition continues this weekend in south Louisiana with the lighting of huge bonfires along the Mississippi River. It’s a tradition that dates back more than 100 years. Forty-five-year-old BoBilly Bourgeois said he’s been taking part since he was big enough to walk. He said his father and his grandfather had built them before him, and it’s still a family endeavor.

Thousands gather to watch the free show in or near towns such as Gramercy, Lutcher and Paulina, about 50 miles west of New Orleans.