Les Feux de Joies at Oak Alley

Oak Alley Plantation is one of the most photographed plantations, referred to as the “Grand Dame of River Road,” located along the 100-mile long Great River Road that follows the Mississippi River between Baton Rouge and New Orleans. The handsome Greek Revival-style mansion was built in 1939 by a wealthy French Creole sugar planter from New Orleans, and it is bracketed by a majestic allée of 28 live oak trees, planted there by a French settler 300 years ago. The plantation hasn’t changed much since the antebellum days; this is especially apparent during the Christmas season, when the Grand Dame is festooned with Yuletide regalia and the infectious excitement of holiday celebration fills the air.

In the fall of 1996, the Oak Alley Plantation conducted a massive redecoration project, enlisting the extensive expertise of Robert E. Smith of Au Vieux Paris Antiques in Breaux Bridge. The original ambiance of the sumptuous 1830s décor was recreated using antique furnishings, faux bois and faux marbre finishes to give architectural elements the look of the original wood and marble, grand color palettes popular in the 19th century, and various unique props to remind visitors of old plantation customs and practices.

During the holiday season, the refurbished mansion is decorated in the 19th-century fashion of using live greenery, nuts, and fresh fruits. Hearths and sideboards are bedecked with potted white narcissus, amaryllis, and pink camellias floating in water filled bowls. Christmas pastries such as Yule logs, pecan pies, syrup cakes, and sugar cookies are placed around the home on display; these delicacies would have all been made from the fall harvest of raw sugar on the plantation. Evergreen and magnolia wreaths and garlands are adorned with pinecones, ribbons, and berries and hung about the grounds. In the 19th century, a small cypress tree potted in a butter urn would have been nestled in the corner of the parlor, but today a more modern 10-foot blue spruce Christmas tree stands in its place, decorated with ornaments, nuts, berries, and pine cones.

These traditional decorations seem tame enough, yet prior to the Civil War, the North and South were fiercely divided on the issue of Christmas. Christmas means “Christ’s Mass,” symbolizing the ritual observance of Jesus Christ’s birth and baptism, and many northerners thought it sinful to celebrate during Christmas. For example, in Puritan Massachusetts, anyone caught celebrating Christmas had to pay a fine, and in Connecticut, a law forbade Christmas celebrations as well as the baking of mincemeat pies. In stark contrast, the first three states to declare Christmas a legal holiday were all southern states, and of course Louisiana was one of them, making Christmas an official state holiday in 1838. Christmas was a big part of the social calendar in the Antebellum South, especially along the stretch of River Road where plantation owners were admired for their lavish hospitality to family and friends, who would stop by to “visit” for sometimes a week or even a few months, and where grand holiday dinners, galas, and bonfires were held.

If the Puritans thought mincemeat pies were bad, then the modern Yuletide bonfires of south Louisiana would have caused significant indignation. The association of fire with festival occasion dates back to ancient times, and the tradition of holiday bonfires in south Louisiana is thought to have come over with the early French or German settlers. In France, Christmas celebrations have been traditionally associated with Feux de Joies, or “Fires of Joy,” including bonfires, Yule logs, fireballs, and burning torches. In south Louisiana, early settlers began constructing crude wooden pyramids and burning them as early as 1880. “The Bonfire Belt,” now stretches from St. John the Baptist Parish through St. James and Ascension Parishes, centering in the Gramercy, Lutcher, and Vacherie region; this part of the river has become a dramatic stage for les feux de joies during the holiday season.

Not too long after Thanksgiving, wooden skeletons of various shapes and sizes begin to pop up along the southern stretch of the river. Some say they are meant to light the way of Papa Noel or St. Nicholas. Though the traditional teepee or pyramid structure is popular and efficient, people have made all sorts of flaming sculptures in recent years, some in the shapes of log cabins and pirate ships. For the more elaborate bonfires, construction can occupy a month or more of work for a family or group of friends. The bonfires are a way of bringing family and friends together to reflect on the past year, tell stories, drink eggnog, roast marshmallows, and celebrate the simple pleasures of life. The biggest night for bonfires is Christmas Eve, but they are held throughout December and draw flocks of locals and visitors alike.

One of the area’s most popular events is the annual Oak Alley Plantation’s Christmas Bonfire Party, held on the first Saturday of December. The festivities begin at 7 pm and last until midnight, featuring live brass bands and dance bands, tour guides outfitted in traditional Antebellum dresses, a selection of tantalizing holiday Creole-style cuisine, an open bar, and magical Christmas decorations that bring out the charm and elegance of the plantation setting. Banquet tables are set on the lawn under the oaks, and guests are serenaded by a brass quintet as they lounge, dance, and talk under the twinkling fairy lights strung about the grounds.

The lighting of the bonfire on the levee is the big event, a spectacular display heightened by the panoramic view of the ancient rows of oak trees, the distant plantation house twinkling with lights, the lush greenery, and the dark and mighty river rushing below. The roaring fire grows higher and higher, its silhouette licking at the deep blue winter sky. The people around the fire gather closer, sharing warmth. The slow dance of the shadows envelopes the story circle as the violet silhouettes come together over the soft grass, forming a large flickering ring surrounding the great fire. The reflection of the bonfire flames glimmers on the dark surface of the Mississippi as the night stretches out before the band of holiday revelers.

Should you miss the Oak Alley bonfire celebration, the classic beauty of the plantation during the holidays is an experience you will not want to forego. Take a day trip and tour the mansion, promenade down the majestic alley of live oaks, browse in the expansive gift shop full of southern history and culture books and collectible items, and try some classic Cajun food at the restaurant. Try to catch one of the Sunday champagne brunches held December 2, December 9, December 16, and December 23, or indulge in a weekend retreat at the Bed and Breakfast, where the staff is famous for pampering their guests.

In the Antebellum South, relatives and friends would often descend to stay at the plantation houses for unspecified lengths of time; it was not unusual during the holidays to entertain a dinner party of fifty guests or more. According to Lyle Saxon, Edward Dreyer, and Robert Tallant, authors of Gumbo Ya-Ya, “A midnight snack before going to bed might consist of a dozen items, such as gumbo, hot meats, cold meats, salads, galantines (boned meat or fish, stuffed, poached and covered with aspic), fruit, cakes, charlotte russes, whipped cream garnished with red cherries, caramel, sorbet and ice cream. A real dinner might terminate with a dozen desserts.” What a snack! The guests have always had it good at Oak Alley, and the gracious staff continues this tradition of opulent hospitality. There is no reason why you shouldn’t pay a visit down the river during the Christmas season, cher. Go back to Antebellum Louisiana, and stay as long as you like. ✦