Bonfire

Bonfire, a fire kindled in celebration of some event of public interest, usually in an open conspicuous place, as the top of a hill, or the centre of a village-green, but applied also to any great blazing fire of whatever material. Such fires were especially lighted on certain anniversaries, as the eves of St John and St Peter, and their origin in our country may be traced to pre-Christian times. The Scotch form bane-fire best shows the origin of the word—a fire for burning bones, and Dr Murray notes that for the annual midsummer 'banefire' or 'bonfire' in the burgh of Hawick old bones were regularly collected and stored up down to about 1800. See BELTANE, BEACON, and vol. i. of Ellis's edition of Brand's Popular Antiquities.