Annual Town Bonfire

Hogmanay is an annual Lawrenceville tradition dating back to 1997, and for us since 2013. As often as possible, we gather around the giant bonfire in the yard of the David Brearley House on Princeton Pike and bask in the glow of one year passing, and other starting. The tradition is to burn off the bad demons from the previous year, casting them off with a good riddance. 

We missed last year's bonfire. Despite getting vaccinated, Don and I were both laid up with the flu. We sat on the day bed in my office and watched Netflix. At least we were together.

This year I went solo. Don had to work. Ashley and Anna had their own plans. I knew I would bump into friends. I saw Allie, Meg, and their grade school-aged daughter before we were separated by the crowds. After parking, and again on the far side of the fire I caught up with Laurie. Laurie's husband, Michael, is one of the adults with the boy scoot troop charged with lighting the fires and bringing people's notes to the flames. There are also volunteer firefighters on hand to make sure the flames stay contained.

When we first started going the piles were enormous. Click on past links to see some epic pictures. Within a couple of years of our attending, the piles were capped at five foot by five foot by five foot. In 2024 they (the town, the historical society, the firefighters?) decided to have two bonfires instead of one, ensuring more people could get closer to the heat and take the all-important selfie next to it.

Every year I hear people share with their friends about how back in the day it was enormous. I am one of those people. I even google this blog to show my favorite photo of the fireman walking in front of the flames. This year was the added conversation about the two piles. I'm sure I'll overhear both conversations again next year, and the year after that, etc.

This year the weather was crisp, but not bitter. We've already had snow, high winds, and frostbite-feeling cold weather. This New Year's Eve temperatures were around freezing, and the wind was mild. It felt good to huddle around the burning wood. It felt good to be around people again. I have not heard how many people attended. As it was being lit at 6 pm (the event was advertised to run from 5pm to 7 pm), the larger oval seemed to be about five people deep. As the night progressed, the crowd thinned. By the time it was extinguished by the fire department at 7:15, there were still a couple of hundred people, far less than at the height of the event.

This year I did not throw anything into the flames. I wondered how many had a certain two-time President on their pieces of paper. My personal life is not perfect, but there isn't anything I would want to burn away.