These wooden structures called bonfires, which resemble tee-pees, have been traditionally built for over 100 years, from generation to generation. The story is told that the bonfires were built on the levee of the Mississippi River to guide Papa Noel to the homes of the River Parishes. Every year, thousands of people from all over the world visit St James Parish (county) to witness the lighting of the bonfires at 7pm CST. Building starts the week of Thanksgiving and concludes with the lighting on Christmas Eve.
I remember building bonfires when I was a small child, using hachets to chop down trees and our bicycles to haul the logs to the top of the levee. These days, common or heavy trucks, chainsaws, and heavy equipment aid in the building of the bonfires.