LUTCHER - Every year, residents of St. James Parish spend weeks preparing for one moment: 7 p.m. on Christmas Eve. At that exact time, each family will torch a 15-foot tall bonfire structure they built by hand, and celebrate as it burns all night. Those precious memories are what keep Kevin Duhe coming back to his hometown annually, despite living in North Carolina now. "It's the best, as far as I'm concerned, the best Christmas tradition anywhere in the world that we've seen, and we've travelled. So we're always back here at home," Duhe said. Duhe and his brother-in-law, Dean St. Pierre, spent the day touching up their stack of wood, but Duhe gives the credit to St. Pierre for doing most of the work. Duhe just got into town yesterday, but the rest of his family began chopping down trees and building the bonfire structure during the week of Thanksgiving. "Takes a few good long days of hard work, going in the woods and cutting logs, hauling them here, and then cutting them up and stacking them up as you see them," Duhe said. Their reserved spot is right across from Duhe's family home, just like many others living along the levee on River Road. It's a safe and convenient method for when the party gets going and hundreds of people are gathered in the area. "For Christmas Eve if you were to come here, we'll have 100 people, family and friends on the front lawn of the house and up here on the levee and the same will be true on each of the houses you see here."Lutcher just wrapped up their Festival of the Bonfires, and the grand finale will take place with the lighting of the fires on Christmas Eve. Permalink| Comments