Photo: Christmas Eve Bonfires Light Up Louisiana Levees

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Every year on Christmas Eve dozens of bonfires are set ablaze in the counties near New Orleans, Lousiana—guiding lights for Santa Claus and churchgoers, according to folklore.

But some unusual fire designs—including an airplane, a ship, and an image of the state capitol—are also helping the state recover from the wounds of the ongoing conflict in Iraq and Hurricane Katrina.

Photograph courtesy Marcia Gaudet

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