LAFAYETTE, La. (KLFY)-- A Christmas Eve Candlelight Service was held at Memorial Park to celebrate how Christmas came to be and to support families who have lost a loved one.

Though it was a rainy Christmas eve, many families attended the event to celebrate the true meaning of Christmas. At the end of the service, everyone hung an ornament on the Christmas tree to remember a loved one.

It was an emotional night for some families who were experiencing their first Christmas without their loved ones and for others, it was a time to spread holiday cheer and support one another. Park owner Danny Delhomme said this was a family tradition that he continues to carry on at the park.

"When we would go to visit my grandparents we would all dress up as angels and wise men and we'd always have a baby and a family. We had baby Jesus and we had Mary and Joseph and now that my grandparents are deceased, we kind of carried this tradition over to participate with the families here at Lafayette Memorial Park", Delhomme said.

Delhomme said the park has carried the tradition on for nearly three decades.

"We've been doing it for probably about 30 years, and it's mainly to help support the families who have loved ones that are buried here at Lafayette Memorial Park but the main reason is to celebrate the birth of Jesus," Delhomme said.

Delhomme said the service aims to help families who are having a difficult time without their loves ones during the holidays.

"Many of the families that have loved ones buried here," Delhomme said. "This is their first Christmas to be without that family member, so it can be a very trying time. We have nativity. We have music, so it just kind of helps to make the celebration a little bit easier for some."

Delhomme said it was a beautiful moment to celebrate God and the importance of Christmas.

"It's just a special time of the year to be able to celebrate the birth of Jesus and for families to come out and for us to all be able to support each other, in prayer and just go on with our lives," Delhomme said.

Delhomme said the park doesn't plan to slow this tradition down anytime soon.

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