Bonfire Night

Mint Sauce · 25-06-2013 12:55PM #1

So apparently, Sunday just gone (23 June) was Bonfire Night, something to do with St John The Baptist. Had never or seen or heard of it before around this time of year, until I seen a few being built and lit around Sligo Town. Only released what it was all about until I just seen it being discussed on one of the regional threads.

The only other Bonfire Nights I knew about were Guy Fawkes (Nov 5th in GB), Halloween here, and 11/12th night in NI (protestant holiday).

So was anyone else celebrating, or were you just burning rubbish. From some of the ones being built in Sligo, I'd say it was the later.

old hippy · 25-06-2013 12:57PM

It could be a Christian appropriation of the old pagan festivals normally held around this time of year?

mr bungle. · 25-06-2013 01:05PM

One of my best memories of my youth was a couple of weeks every summer collecting everything and anything from local businesses to prepare for bonfire night,I thought it was a nationwide thing!

Dravokivich · 25-06-2013 01:06PM

old hippy wrote: »

It could be a Christian appropriation of the old pagan festivals normally held around this time of year?

That Patrick fella made a deal of it back then alright, made a point of lighting the first one once. Although I always associated bonfires with Halloween. First I've heard of it during summer.

Zebra3 · 25-06-2013 01:07PM

First I head about was in the paper yesterday.

Typical christianity ****e stealing other religions traditions.

Mint Sauce · 25-06-2013 01:13PM

Zebra3 wrote: »

First I head about was in the paper yesterday.

Typical christianity ****e stealing other religions traditions.

St John the Baptist IS part of Christianity.

Dravokivich · 25-06-2013 01:15PM

irish-stew wrote: »

St John the Baptist IS part of Christianity.

There were many pagan ceremonies here that used bonfires. St Patrick hijacked one of'em to convert a high king. So legend goes...

I s'pose a bonfire night dedicated to St John the Baptist could be in reference to it.

Badly Drunk Boy · 25-06-2013 01:16PM

It's a Summer Solstice/Midsummer thing. Mainly in the West of Ireland. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midsummer#Ireland

kfallon · 25-06-2013 01:16PM

Any ould excuse for a session, fair play to them

Capt'n Midnight · 25-06-2013 01:16PM

Roll on the 12th

Sergeant · 25-06-2013 01:21PM

Zebra3 wrote: »

First I head about was in the paper yesterday.

Typical christianity ****e stealing other religions traditions.

Yeah, fúck those Christian morons who started this tradition in Ireland over 1000 years ago.

Sauve · 25-06-2013 01:23PM

Badly Drunk Boy wrote: »

It's a Summer Solstice/Midsummer thing. Mainly in the West of Ireland. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midsummer#Ireland

Yep, seems to be a west thing alright. Don't remember it happening before I moved over this side

kfallon · 25-06-2013 01:24PM

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

Roll on the 12th

I'm happy enough to get me flute out any day of the year.....

Zebra3 · 25-06-2013 01:42PM

Sergeant wrote: »

Yeah, fúck those Christian morons who started this tradition in Ireland over 1000 years ago.

Except they didn't start it. :rolleyes:

It was a pagan tradition which like so many others was adopted by Christianity.

biko · 25-06-2013 01:44PM

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Midsummer#Ireland

rossie1977 · 25-06-2013 01:45PM

why is bonfire night only celebrated in the west of ireland, did we get all the vikings

when i was young it was built up like christmas

mcmoustache · 25-06-2013 01:49PM

when i was growing up in connemara, we would sew old potato sacks into balls, soak them in parafin, light them on fire and throw them in the air to be caught and thrown again.

Mint Sauce · 25-06-2013 01:50PM

rossie1977 wrote: »

why is bonfire night only celebrated in the west of ireland, did we get all the vikings when i was young it was built up like christmas

But decipher Bonfire Night. I always thought Bonfire Night here was on Halloween, and I have lived in the West and NW of Ireland for 14/15 years.

As per my OP other bonfires exsist, but never knew of one in this region in June. The regional forum I made reference to in my OP was in Cork, and thats not the West.

Duckworth_Luas · 25-06-2013 01:50PM

Where I grew up it was second only to Christmas in a young boys calender.

It's funny when you meet Irish people from less cultured parts of the country that have never heard of it yet you can meet people from the continent you have the exact same tradition!

The Backwards Man · 25-06-2013 02:00PM

irish-stew wrote: »

But decipher Bonfire Night. I always thought Bonfire Night here was on Halloween, and I have lived in the West and NW of Ireland for 14/15 years.

As per my OP other bonfires exsist, but never knew of one in this region in June. The regional forum I made reference to in my OP was in Cork, and thats not the West.

In Donegal, Halloween is Bonfire night, the 23rd of June is Bonefire Night.

hoodwinked · 25-06-2013 02:18PM

irish-stew wrote: »

But decipher Bonfire Night. I always thought Bonfire Night here was on Halloween, and I have lived in the West and NW of Ireland for 14/15 years.

As per my OP other bonfires exsist, but never knew of one in this region in June. The regional forum I made reference to in my OP was in Cork, and thats not the West.

it does seem to be a cork city thing though,

i know many people from Rural area's in Cork who have never heard of 'Bonna Night' where some children in the city class it as "the greatest night of the year"

dr.bollocko · 25-06-2013 02:26PM

Did anyone fashion a giant man made of wicker?

Sergeant · 25-06-2013 02:34PM

dr.bollocko wrote: »

Did anyone fashion a giant man made of wicker?

For this year's village bonfire we sacrificed a German backpacker called Helmut who had come here for The Gathering.

Pumpkinseeds · 25-06-2013 02:41PM

But Friday 21st June was Midsummer

I know as it's my monster mother in laws birthday. Ah the irony of her birthday being the longest day of the year:D Gotta be honest, bonfires other than Guy Fawkes and Halloween seem a bit knick knacky to me, very inner city skangerish:p

dr.bollocko · 25-06-2013 02:44PM

Sergeant wrote: »

For this year's village bonfire we sacrificed a German backpacker called Helmut who had come here for The Gathering.

Yeah. They banned everything except smokeless fuels so we had to use Helmut coal.

</wince>

Fridge · 25-06-2013 02:47PM

Never heard of it. I feel so stupid. Such a small country and yet...

Duckworth_Luas · 25-06-2013 02:55PM

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

Gotta be honest, bonfires other than Guy Fawkes and Halloween seem a bit knick knacky to me, very inner city skangerish:p

Yeah, well it's only an unbroken tradition in the rural west of Ireland going back 1000s of years!

Tar.Aldarion · 25-06-2013 02:58PM

Yeah we always did it, from west of Ireland. Also my birthday, so it was pretty awesome.

It answers age old questions like, "will it burn?" with honorable mention to golf balls.

AnonoBoy · 25-06-2013 02:59PM

When I grew up in the West if there was any Dubs down visiting we wouldn't tell them about bonfires night so we didn't have to invite them along.

Suckahs!

Red Kev · 25-06-2013 03:00PM

Bonfire night is very localised, here in Roscommon it's big in some towns/parishes and barely done in others. It's a pagan tradition to celebrate Midsummer, a festival that is still huge in Scandanavia, parts of Germany amongst others and this is where it comes from.

Christianity dictates that John the Baptist was born on June 24th, 6 months before Jesus, so the day was shifted from June 21st to the night of the 23rd. Same goes for Imbolg (Feb 1st), Bealtaine (May 1st) , Lughnasa (Aug 1st), Samhain (Nov 1st) and arguably Christmas (very close to Dec. 21st), all traditional pagan feast days taken over by Christian feast days.

Incidentally Reek Sunday on Croagh Patrick is the last Sunday of July, it was traditionally done on Lughnasa, August 1st.

It's just the way things went over the years, shows how much influence the church has had on society over the centuries, nothing to stop you celebrating the old pagan festivals if you want.

mcmoustache · 25-06-2013 03:24PM

dr.bollocko wrote: »

Did anyone fashion a giant man made of wicker?

we did that for a few years for the august bh. i don't know if it's still done

Bonfire Night

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