The Brearley family – among the earliest settlers of Lawrence Township in the late 1600’s – would feel right at home and ready to join the fun of the annual Hogmany bonfire on New Year’s Eve, held right outside the doorstep to the family’s homestead at the end of Meadow Road.
The bonfire, which traces its origins to a Scottish tradition, will be lighted at 6 p.m. Monday. Sponsored by the Lawrence Historical Society, the event is free and open to the public – and, as is customary, the historic Brearley House will be open for tours.
Visitors will be asked to park at the Vision Management office park on Lenox Drive. Visitors will turn into the office park at the intersection of Princeton Pike and Lenox Drive at the traffic light – about 100 yards south of Meadow Road – and follow Lenox Drive to the rear parking lots.
From the Vision Management office park’s parking lot, visitors may walk on a lighted trail to the Brearley House, or ride in a free shuttle bus. The trail is about a quarter-mile from the bonfire site.
While the fire is burning bright, a bagpiper will play traditional tunes. Visitors are encouraged to write down any bad things that happened in 2018 and toss the list onto the bonfire before it is ignited. Paper and pencils will be available, or bring a list prepared at home.
Tossing bad things into the bonfire is a tradition with which the Brearley family may have been familiar. They immigrated to Lawrence from Yorkshire, England – just across the border from Scotland – in the late 1600’s.
The Hogmanay bonfire has been a tradition of the Lawrence Historical Society since 1997. It began as a way to showcase the Brearley House, which was built in 1761, while it was undergoing restoration by Lawrence Township. It proved to be so popular that Hogmanay has become an annual event.
The first bonfire was suggested by Lawrence Historical Society member Joe Logan, who recalled similar bonfires that took place in his childhood hometown of Savannah, Ga.
The bonfires were a New Year’s Eve community celebration to mark the end of the holiday season with the burning of the year’s Christmas trees. Lawrence Historical Society members researched bonfires and discovered the customs of Hogmanay, and the tradition of the New Year’s Eve bonfire was born.
No one knows the origin of the name “Hogmanay,” according to www.hogmanay.net. It is the Scottish word for “the last day of the year,” and it may have entered the Scots language from the French “hoguinan” – a New Year’s gift; the Gaelic “og maidne” – new morning; or the Anglo-Saxon “haleg monath”- holy month.
The various local traditions found in Scotland that are centered around fire hark back to the ancient past. In pagan winter celebrations, fire symbolized the newly resurgent sun coming back to the land, and it was believed to ward off evil spirits dwelling in the darkness.
Fire still plays a major role in Hogmanay celebrations, with bonfires, torchlight processions and fireworks still popular in Scotland.
The most important aspect of any Hogmanay celebration is cleansing for the new year. This includes paying off old debts, washing the house and banishing thoughts of bad happenings from the previous year.
For more information about the Hogmanay celebration, visit the Lawrence Historical Society at www.thelhs.org.