![]() The festival falls in the second week of January every year. 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. 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. Like the other countries, it was a pagan celebration of the solstice, or midsummer, but Christianisation transformed it into a Catholic celebration. In France, the bonfire celebrates Jean le Baptiste during the Fête de la Saint-Jean ("St John's Day"), first Saturday after the solstice, about 24 June. In the province of Quebec, many communities light bonfires on 24 June to celebrate Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day. 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.ĭue to their historic connection to Britain and Ireland, the province of Newfoundland and Labrador has many communities that celebrate bonfire nights, particularly Guy Fawkes Night this is one of the times when small rural communities come together. Smaller fires such as campfires and outdoor barbecues are usually permitted outside of fire restriction periods. 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. Legislation about bonfires varies between states, metropolitan and rural regions, local government areas, and property types. In Australia, bonfires are rarely allowed in the warmer months due to fire danger. The ash from these fires supposedly had a special power to raise crops, and people also walked their cattle through the ashes to ensure fertility. Some people took to jumping over the fire in order to ensure youth and fertility. To protect themselves against witches, people lit bonfires in high places, calling these fires "Burning the Witches". The main purpose of this old folk custom was probably a celebration of fertility. People also believed, for example, in the opening of various caves treasures were hidden. ![]() People believed that on this night witches fly to their Sabbath, and indeed this is one of the biggest pagan holidays. The festival was probably originally celebrated when the moon was full closest to the day exactly between the spring equinox and summer solstice. The night between 30 April and 1 May was considered magical. ![]() On that night, people gather together, light bonfires, and celebrate the coming of spring. This is a very old and still observed folk custom and special holiday. ![]() In the Czech Republic, the festival called "Burning the Witches" (also Philip and Jacob Night, Walpurgis Night, or Beltane) takes place on the night between 30 April and 1 May. Since 1988 " Feuer in den Alpen" (fires in the Alps) have been lit on a day in August on mountains so they can be seen from afar as an appeal for sustainable development of mountain regions. There are also " Sonnwendfeuer" ( solstice fires) ignited on the evening of 21 June. In Austria, the custom of the " Osterfeuer" or Easter fires is widespread, but also regulated in some cities, districts and countries to hold down the resulting annual peak of PM10-dust emission. The burning of "winter in effigy" at the Sechseläuten in Zürich (introduced in 1902) is inspired by this Alemannic tradition. Red shows traditions of Funkensonntag (the Sunday following Ash Wednesday), blue shows traditions of 1 March.īonfire traditions of early spring, lit on the Sunday following Ash Wednesday ( Funkensonntag, otherwise called Quadragesima Sunday), are widespread throughout the Alemannic German speaking regions of Europe and in parts of France. Distribution of Funkenfeuer in Alemannic Europe, France and Northern Italy.
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