On this Holi ponder upon this festival of bonfire which is celebrated world-wide:
⚫ How many countries celebrate Bonfire ? Why ?
⚫ What is Bonfire ? ⚫
A bonfire is a large and controlled outdoor fire, used either for informal disposal of burnable waste material or as part of a celebration.
Bonfires are used on farms, in large gardens and allotments to dispose of waste plant material that is not readily composted. This includes woody material, pernicious weeds, diseased material and material treated with persistent pesticides and herbicides. Such bonfires may be quite small but are often designed to burn slowly for several days so that wet and green material may be reduced to ash by frequently turning the unburnt material into the centre. Such bonfires can also deal with turf and other earthy material. The ash from garden bonfires is a useful source of potash and may be beneficial in improving the soil structure of some soils although such fires must be managed with safety in mind.Garden and farm bonfires are frequently smoky and can cause local nuisance if poorly managed or lit in unsuitable weather conditions.
⚫ How many countries celebrate Holi or bonfire in the world ?⚫
⚫ Regional traditions :
In many regions of continental Europe, bonfires are made traditionally on 16 January, the solemnity of John the Baptist, as well as on Saturday night before Easter.Bonfires are also a feature of Walpurgis Night in central and northern Europe, and the celebrations on the eve of St. John's Day in Spain. In Finland and Norway bonfires are tradition on Midsummer Eve and to a lesser degree in Easter. In Sweden bonfires are lit on Walpurgis Night celebrations on the last day of April.
⚫ Bonfire in Australia :
In Australia, bonfires are rarely allowed in the warmer months due to fire danger. Legislation about bonfires varies between states, metropolitan and rural regions, local government areas, and property types. For example, in urban areas of Canberra bonfires may be lit around the Queen's Official Birthday if local fire authorities are notified; however, they are banned the rest of the year. Smaller fires such as campfires and outdoor barbecues are usually permitted outside of fire restriction periods. In the state of Queensland, the rural town of Killarney hosts an annual Bonfire night for the greater community; proceeds support the town's aged care facilities.
⚫ Bonfire night in Canada :
Due to their historic connection to Britain, the province of Newfoundland and Labrador have many communities that celebrate Bonfire night; this is one of the times when small rural communities come together. In the province of Quebec, many communities light up bonfires on June 24 to celebrate Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day.
⚫ Bonfire In France :
In France, the bonfire celebrates Jean le Baptiste during the Fête de la Saint-Jean , first Saturday after the solstice, about 24 June. Like the other countries, it was a pagan celebration of the solstice, or midsummer, but Christianisation transformed it into a Catholic celebration.
⚫ In India bonfire celebrates as a various festivals :
In India, particularly in Punjab, people gather around a bonfire and eat peanuts and sweets during the festival of 'Lohri' to celebrate the winter solstice which occurred during the Indian month of Magh.
People have bonfires on communal land. If there has been a recent wedding or a new born in the family, people will have a bonfire outside their house to celebrate this event. The festival falls in the second week of January every year. In Assam in the northeastern part of India, a harvest festival called 'Bhogali Bihu' is celebrated to mark the end of the harvest season in mid-January. In southern parts of India, particularly in Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Mumbai, the 'Bhogi' festival is celebrated on the last day of 'Maarkali', which is also the first day of the farmer festival 'Pongal'. People collect unwanted items from their houses and set them on fire in a bonfire to celebrate. During the ten days of Vijayadashami, effigies of Ravana, his brother Kumbhakarna and son Meghanad are erected and burnt by enthusiastic youths at sunset. Traditionally a bonfire on the day of 'Holi' marks the symbolic annihilation of Holika the demoness as described above.
⚫Fire jumping festival in "Iran"⚫
'Chaharshanbe Suri' is a fire jumping festival celebrated by Persian people, Kurdish people and some other people in the world. The event takes place on the eve of the last Wednesday before Nowruz.Also called the Festival of Fire, it is a prelude to Nowruz, which marks the arrival of spring. The words Chahar Shanbeh mean Wednesday and Suri means red. Bonfires are lit to "keep the sun alive" until early morning. The celebration usually starts in the evening, with people making bonfires in the streets and jumping over them singing "zardi-ye man az toh, sorkhi-ye toh az man". There are Zoroastrian religious significance attached to 'Chahārshanbeh Suri" and it serves as a cultural festival for Iranian and Iranic people.
⚫ Bonfire night in "Iraq"⚫
In Iraq bonfires lit to celebrate the Feast of the Cross by the Assyrian Christians. Beside the bonfire every household hang traditionally a lighted fire in the roof of their house.
⚫ Bonfire in Ireland ⚫
Throughout Ireland, bonfires are lit on the night of 31 October to celebrate Halloween[6] or Samhain. Bonfires are also held on 30 April, particularly in Limerick to celebrate the festival of Bealtaine and on St. John's eve, 23 June, to celebrate Midsummer's eve, particularly in County Cork where it is also known as 'Bonna Night'.
⚫ Bonfires in Israel :
In Israel, on the eve of Lag BaOmer, bonfires are lit on to commemorate the Mishnaic sage Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai who according to tradition died on Lag BaOmer. Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai is accredited with having composed the Kabalistic work The Zohar . The main celebration takes place at Rabbi Shimon's tomb on Mount Meron in northern Israel, but all over the country bonfires are lit in open spaces. Linked by Modern Jewish tradition to the Bar Kokhba Revolt against the Roman Empire, Lag BaOmer is very popularly observed and celebrated as a symbol for the fighting Jewish spirit. As Lag Ba'Omer draws near, children begin collecting material for the bonfire: wood boards and planks, old doors, and anything else made of wood. On the night itself, families and friends gather round the fires and youths will burn their bonfires till daybreak.
👉click here to know more about other countries' festivals of bonfires which is celebrated world wide.
Thus, in the world many countries celebrated the festival of bonfire night, but in our India Bonfire is celebrate in many religion's festivals like in Punjab there is a celebration of 'Lohri' , in Hindu religion there's a celebration of 'Holika Dahan'
In Assam there is a harvest festival called "Bhogali Bihu". So in our India there is many religions celebrated the festival of bonfire .
Here is some videos of bonfire night of different countries :
👉 India (Holika Dahan)
👉Iranian fire Jumping festival :
👉 Lohri indian festival :
👉 Lewes Bonfire : Britain's most dangerous bonfire :
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