Bonfire night

Legend has it that in ancient China, somewhere around the 2nd century BCE, three ingredients that were commonly used in field kitchens were mistakenly mixed together; this combination exploded with a huge bang! Everyone felt sure they had found the perfect way to chase away evil spirits! The noisy concoction became a favorite way to celebrate weddings, battle victories and the New Year, all the while protecting against those unwelcome spirits.

The new creation with its magical properties invited experimentation. By 1040 the Chinese had perfected how to make a “Fire Pill”. There were several recipes each creating a different firework effect and colour. The ingredients and methods used to make fireworks today are very similar to those in the ancient Chinesse recipes.

Fireworks were one of the many exotic discoveries that Marco Polo brought home from his adventures in China. Thanks to him, Italy and eventually the rest of Europe could enjoy the night magic of fireworks. It wasn’t until the early America’s earliest settlers brought their enthusiasm for fireworks to the United States. English colonists set them off in Jamestown in 1608, enjoying a bit of English popular entertainment and impressing Native Americans.

Hey, this post wasn’t about fireworks; I got carried away again. It was about the Celtic origin of bonfires. About the old Samhain when animal bones were burnt to ward off evil spirits. About the word “bonfire” being a corruption of “bone fire”. About pagan festivities and about Halloween. Too late now.

Next year.