Talk:Bonfire

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Reealg th bonfire dude

Comments[edit]

I was always told that the term bonepyre was used in reference to the practice of burning the contents of the ossuarie when it became full, thus freeing up more space for the dead, has anyone got any more information regarding this?--Pypex 19:06, 7 November 2005 (UTC)[reply]

I came here looking for the band Bonfire. I believe they were german, had alot of european hits. Just wondered if anyone would put up Bonfire (band) someplace on this (wiccan?) page... --SWA 19:40, 7 April 2006 (UTC)[reply]

I can't discount multiple etymologies, but the French 'bon' meaning a good / impressive fire, seems obvious (to me) and probably to most of the French-American world throughout it's popular history of the last few centuries.
An etymology is richer and more truthful if it recognizes the basis for a word's continued use & popularity, not just its first historical use, which seems dramatically removed from, even contrary to its long recent and popular use under the meaning from the French construction of a good big celebratory fire.
--Wikidity (talk) 03:15, 25 December 2016 (UTC)[reply]

The bonfire is part of a ritual of purification and consecration. In ancient times, cattle, important symbols of wealth and status, were led through the smoke of a bonfire. Couples who were to be wed on May Day would leap through the flames of the bonfire to seal their vows. Coals from a bonfire would be taken home to light the fires in family hearths, a practice thought to bring good fortune. It was also believed that the residents of the Faery realm were incapable of producing fire themselves; embers of bonfires would be carried to the underworld and tended there.

Some references would be good. At least the Wicca site that this was stolen from. The correct place to seek the etymology for the word would be the Oxford English Dictionary, probably the online version. And as for the content of a wiccan bonfire, wiccan traditions are probably unverifiable.

Cleanup[edit]

This article needs a serious prune, it's awful :(. —The preceding unsigned comment was added by 217.146.113.66 (talk) 11:35, 14 February 2007 (UTC).[reply]


This article is terrible. In Ireland, bonfires are usuallly lit on the 23rd of June. It is only recently a 'tradition' to light bonfires at Halloween in Dublin. And even in Dublin, the practice is not that widespread. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 84.203.52.14 (talk) 21:07, 31 October 2007 (UTC)[reply]

How can this article have no reference to the English (but celebrated all around the UK) 'Bonfire night', aka Guy Fawkes Night? 82.47.0.158 17:32, 4 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]

I changed the link to the Italian wikipedia: it linked to a specific kind of celebrative bonfire in the north-east of Italy rather than to the general bonfire article. 192.167.204.8 (talk) 23:53, 10 May 2011 (UTC)[reply]

etymology & spelling[edit]

The oldest documented spellings of this are banefyre (1483) bone fyre (1493) according to OED (it is word-of-the-day today). OED states that the alternative bon (fr: good) fire is mistaken. TomViza 12:53, 5 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The nine woods[edit]

The nine woods are wrong... "Elder be ye lady's tree, burn it not or cursed you'll be." I have switched it to the proper woods. Thanks 69.245.172.44 14:12, 5 November 2007 (UTC)[reply]

The meaning of "Bon fire night"[edit]

Bon fire night comes from the French Aristocracy who were and are ruling the Uk. In the 1600s they still spoke french as their first language. Bon fire night is french for "good fire night".```` —Preceding unsigned comment added by Jon1010 (talk • contribs) 11:43, 4 June 2009 (UTC)[reply]

this is interesting ... but also wrong. Apparently the term is from banefire "bone fire". --dab (𒁳) 09:15, 24 April 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Here's a citation from folklorists: "The Bonfire in North Irish Tradition" Alan Gailey; G. B. Adams. Folklore, Vol. 88, No. 1. (1977), pp. 3-38. ...supports the three claims marked as needing citations about etymology of "bone fire," walking (driving the cattle, actually) between two fires for clensing, etc.

UK + US[edit]

Why are the US traditions surrounding bonfires put under the UK/Ireland subheading? If the US has similar celebrations involving bonfires then they should have their own subheading, rather than being glued to the end of another. Might as well put it in under Indian or Israel if you're going to do that. Sorry for my trollish observation, it's late and I don't like Global-Americanisation. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 78.145.154.81 (talk) 00:18, 25 August 2010 (UTC)[reply]

Fixed the same day. United states now has its own section in proper alphabetical order with other countries.  Velella  Velella Talk   11:10, 16 July 2011 (UTC)[reply]
And why are Nordic Countries together too? Totally different traditions... MarlinMr (talk) 14:14, 19 January 2015 (UTC)[reply]

Guy Fawkes Day[edit]

The most important holidays of Great Britain held on 5 November and is known as Guy Fawkes Day. Oddly, this holiday commemorates the day in 1605 when Guy Fawkes and a group of Englishmen tried to blow up the English Parliament by placing barrels of gunpowder in the basement of the Parliament building. On bonfire, children eat candy apples, hotdogs and have a party with friends... children like to light sparkles and after the party go to the park and fire the guy fawkes. — Preceding unsigned comment added by Juanileon (talk • contribs) 22:40, 16 March 2011 (UTC)[reply]

This is covered at Bonfire#United Kingdom but it's not a public holiday. --Trevj (talk) 10:05, 16 July 2011 (UTC)[reply]

I wouldn't say Guy Fawkes Day (or Bonfire Night as it's known colloquially) is the most important holiday, unless you mean in relation to bonfires :-) Also, I think a distinction should be made here that Guy Fawkes Day is really an English custom and is not prevalent in Scotland (I'm not sure about Wales or N.I.). Bonza9683 14:13, 2 November 2011 (UTC) — Preceding unsigned comment added by Bonza9683 (talk • contribs)

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Epiphany![edit]

i'm sure there are regional traditions here and there in the US, but in new england at least, it is fairly common to have a community bonfire to burn christmas trees on or around 6 jan. i myself have never seen one for halloween or the 4th of july; yet the christmas tree/epiphany one i've seen in 4 or 5 diff towns.

needs to be at least MENTIONED. especially since the photo is of a "christmas tree burning"! 209.172.23.203 (talk) 03:02, 19 October 2017 (UTC)[reply]

Baton Rouge, Louisiana[edit]

I thought there used to be bonfires on the levee in Baton Rouge, La, but for Christmas, not the 4th of July, which is more of a fireworks event.

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