Bonfires

Sitting around a bonfire is good fun at the end of a long summer day. As the old saying goes from Field of Dreams, if you build it, they will come.

Bonfires are a relaxing way to congregate, enjoy a cold drink or a s’more (or two!), and share stories and laughs. If it’s a cool night, the warmth and light of the fire draws people in. People seem to open up around a campfire, maybe remembering old times or memorable camping trips when they were kids. Everyone seems to have their favorite ghost story to share or a favorite camping destination or scouting adventure.

Bonfires are easy fun and are one activity that hasn’t changed much over the past millennia. Bonfire is a compound of "bone" and "fire,” dating back to the late 15th century. The word has also been attributed as a compound of the French "bon" (good) and the English "fire."

In many places, building a bonfire signals a celebration as in Finland when bonfires (kokos) are built to celebrate Juhannus, or midsummer. In France, it is Saint-Jean-Baptiste-Day. Easter bonfires are common in parts of France, Austria and Switzerland. In Great Britain and parts of Canada many communities celebrate bonfire nights, particularly Guy Fawkes Night on Nov. 5 when small rural communities come together. In India people gather around a bonfire and eat peanuts and sweets during the festival of Lohri to celebrate the winter solstice. In the Middle East bonfires are lit to "keep the sun alive" until early morning.

Regardless of where you are in the world today, I think we need more things like bonfires that bring us together.

There’s nothing sweeter than summertime s’mores 😋

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Selected photos courtesy KLEM Studios, Elaine Sterrett Isely.