Bonfire
A bonfire is a large and controlled outdoor fire, used for waste disposal or as part of a religious feast, such as Saint John's Eve. Etymology The earliest attestations date to the late 15th century, with the Catholicon Anglicum spelling it as ''banefyre'' and John Mirk's ''Book of Festivals'' speaking of a communal fire in celebrations of Saint John's Eve that "was clene bones & no wode & that is callid a bone fyre". The word is thus a compound of "bone" and "fire." Samuel Johnson's 1755 ''Dictionary of the English Language, Dictionary'' incorrectly analyzed "bon" as the French ''bon'' 'good'. Regional traditions In many regions of continental Europe, bonfires are made traditionally on 24 June, 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 Bonfires of Saint John, the celebrations on the eve of St. John's Day in Spain. In Sweden bonfires are lit on Walpurgis ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Midsummer
Midsummer is a celebration of the season of summer, taking place on or near the date of the summer solstice in the Northern Hemisphere; the longest Daytime, day of the year. The name "midsummer" mainly refers to summer solstice festivals of European origin. These cultures traditionally regard it as the middle of summer, with the season beginning on May Day. Although the summer solstice falls on June solstice, 20, 21 or 22 June in the Northern Hemisphere, it was traditionally reckoned to fall on 23–24 June in much of Europe. These dates were Christianization of saints and feasts, Christianized as Saint John's Eve and Nativity of John the Baptist, Saint John's Day. It is usually celebrated with outdoor gatherings that include bonfires and feasting. History There is Archaeoastronomy, evidence that the summer solstice has been culturally important since the Neolithic era, with List of archaeoastronomical sites by country, many ancient monuments throughout Eurasia and the Am ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Saint John's Eve
Saint John's Eve, starting at sunset on 23 June, is the eve of the Nativity of St John the Baptist, feast day of Saint John the Baptist. This is one of the very few feast days marking a saint's birth, rather than their death. The Gospel of Luke (Luke 1:26–37, 56–57) states that John the Baptist, John was born six months before Jesus; therefore, the Feast Day, feast of John the Baptist was fixed on 24 June, six months before Christmas. In the Roman calendar, 24 June was the date of the summer solstice, and Saint John's Eve is closely associated with Midsummer festivities in Europe. Traditions are similar to those of May Day and include bonfires (St John's fires), feasting, processions, church services, and gathering wild plants. History Saint John's Day, the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist, feast day of Saint John the Baptist, was established by the undivided Christian Church in the 4th century A.D., in honour of the birth of Saint John the Baptist, which the Christian ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Beltane
Beltane () or ''Bealtaine'' () is the Gaels, Gaelic May Day festival, marking the beginning of summer. It is traditionally held on 1 May, or about midway between the March equinox, spring equinox and summer solstice. Historically, it was widely observed in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. In Ireland, the name for the festival in both Irish language, Irish and English is (). In Scottish Gaelic it is called (), and in Manx language, Manx Gaelic or . It is one of Quarter days, the four main Gaelic seasonal festivals—along with Samhain, Imbolc, and Lughnasadh—and is similar to the Welsh . Beltane is mentioned in the Early Irish literature, earliest Irish literature and is associated with important events in Irish mythology. Also known as ('first of summer'), it marked the beginning of summer and was when cattle were Transhumance, driven out to the summer pastures. Rituals were performed to protect cattle, people and crops, and to encourage growth. Special bonfires wer ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Walpurgis Night
Walpurgis Night (), an abbreviation of Saint Walpurgis Night (from the German language, German ), also known as Saint Walpurga's Eve (alternatively spelled Saint Walburga's Eve) and Walpurgisnacht, is the Vigil#Eves of religious celebrations, eve of the Christianity, Christian feast day of Saint Walpurga, an 8th-century abbess in Francia, and is celebrated on the night of 30 April and the day of 1 May. This feast memorialization, commemorates the canonization of Saint Walpurga and the movement of her relics to Eichstätt, both of which occurred on 1 May 870. Saint Walpurga was hailed by the Christians of Germany for battling "pest, rabies, and whooping cough, as well as against witchcraft". Christians Christian prayer, prayed to God in Christianity, God through the Intercession of saints, intercession of Saint Walpurga in order to protect themselves from witchcraft, as Saint Walpurga was successful in conversion to Christianity, converting the local populace to Christianity. ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Bonfires Of Saint John
The Bonfires of Saint John (, ) are a traditional and popular festival celebrated in the city of Alicante, Spain, from 19 to 24 June. The celebration ultimately stems from a tradition of bonfires for Saint John's Eve that can be found in many places, among them the Mediterranean coast of Spain, especially Catalonia and the Valencian Community; in Alicante, it's the official and most important festivity in the city. It was officially declared as a Fiesta of International Tourist Interest in 1983 and a Bien de Interés Cultural in 2014. Background Midsummer eve festivals ( St. John's Eve among Christians) have roots in ancient celebrations related to the summer solstice. Bonfires were lit to protect against evil spirits which were believed to roam freely when the sun was turning southward again. In later years, witches were also thought to be on their way to meetings with other powerful beings. Fire features in many of the celebrations, with people gathering together and cr ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Quadragesima Sunday
Quadragesima Sunday (Latin: ''Dominica in Quadragesima'', "Sunday in the Fortieth"), also known as Invocabit Sunday, is the traditional name for the First Sunday of Lent in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church. Observed approximately forty days before Easter (excluding Sundays), after Ash Wednesday, it marks the beginning of the penitential season of Lent, a 40-day period of fasting, prayer, and almsgiving in preparation for the celebration of Christ’s resurrection. Quadragesima Sunday may occur as early as February 8 or as late as March 14. Nomenclature The term ''Quadragesima'' is derived from the Latin word for "fortieth", as there are exactly forty days from Quadragesima Sunday until Good Friday. However, like Quinquagesima, Sexagesima and Septuagesima, the numeral is more likely an approximation of how many days there are until Easter, Easter Sunday, in this case 42. While Quadragesima includes both Sundays and weekdays, the beginning of Lent was later changed to the pre ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Sechseläuten
The ''Sechseläuten'' ( Zürich German: ''Sächsilüüte'', "The six o'clock ringing of the bells") is a traditional spring holiday in the Swiss city of Zürich celebrated in its current form, usually on the 3rd Monday of April, since the early 20th century. Burning of the Böögg Following the parade of the Zünfte (guilds), the climax of the holiday is the burning of Winter in effigy, in the form of the ''Böögg'', a figure of a snowman prepared with explosives. The custom of burning a rag doll called ''Böögg'' predates the ''Sechseläuten''. A ''Böögg'' (cognate to '' bogey'') was originally a masked character doing mischief and frightening children during the carnival season. The neighborhood association ''Zum Kratz'' has burned a ''Böögg'' each year, but originally the effigy represented some yearly disaster such as the influenza. The burning was also partially a protest against the demolition of the neighborhood ''Zum Kratz'', which was accomplished around 1890. In ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Campfire
A campfire is a fire at a campsite that provides light and warmth, and heat for cooking. It can also serve as a beacon, and an insect and predator deterrent. Established campgrounds often provide a stone or steel fire ring for safety. Campfires are a popular feature of camping. At summer camps, the word campfire often refers to an event (ceremony, get together, etc.) at which there is a fire. Some camps refer to the fire itself as a campfire. History First campfire A new analysis of burned antelope bones from caves in Swartkrans, South Africa, confirms that ''Australopithecus robustus'' and/or ''Homo erectus'' built campfires roughly 1.6 million years ago. Nearby evidence within Wonderwerk Cave, at the edge of the Kalahari Desert, has been called the oldest known controlled fire. Microscopic analysis of plant ash and charred bone fragments suggests that materials in the cave were not heated above about . This is consistent with preliminary findings that the fires burned grasses, ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Maypole
A maypole is a tall wooden pole erected as a part of various European List of folk festivals, folk festivals, around which a maypole dance often takes place. The festivals may occur on May Day, 1 May or Pentecost (Whitsun), although in some countries it is instead erected during Midsummer (20–26 June). In some cases, the maypole is a permanent feature that is only utilized during the festival, although in other cases it is erected specifically for the purpose before being taken down again. Primarily found within the nations of Germanic languages, Germanic Europe and the neighboring areas which they have influenced, its origins remain unknown. It has often been speculated that the maypole originally had some importance in the Germanic paganism of Iron Age and early Medieval cultures and that the tradition survived Christianisation, albeit losing any original meaning that it had. It has been a recorded practice in many parts of Europe throughout the Medieval and Early Modern pe ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |
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Zürich
Zurich (; ) is the list of cities in Switzerland, largest city in Switzerland and the capital of the canton of Zurich. It is in north-central Switzerland, at the northwestern tip of Lake Zurich. , the municipality had 448,664 inhabitants. The Urban agglomeration, urban area was home to 1.45 million people (2020), while the Zurich Metropolitan Area, Zurich metropolitan area had a total population of 2.1 million (2020). Zurich is a hub for railways, roads, and air traffic. Both Zurich Airport and Zürich Hauptbahnhof, Zurich's main railway station are the largest and busiest in the country. Permanently settled for over 2,000 years, Zurich was founded by the Roman Empire, Romans, who called it '. However, early settlements have been found dating back more than 6,400 years (although this only indicates human presence in the area and not the presence of a town that early). During the Middle Ages, Zurich gained the independent and privileged status of imperial immediacy and, in 1519 ... [...More Info...]       [...Related Items...]     OR:     [Wikipedia]   [Google]   [Baidu]   |