Bonfires through the ages
"The Bonfire is one of the most memorable-- and sporadic-- of all traditional Princeton activities. Like many on-going traditions, its exact origins are lost in time, but the first reported instances of sanctioned bonfires occurred to celebrate victories in baseball, not football. In former times, Yale and Princeton battled on the diamond at the conclusion of the Alumni P-rade at Reunions, and a victory set off a raucous celebration.
As football gained in popularity, and as gridiron competition with Yale and Harvard became a regular event, the Bonfire came to symbolize capture of the Big Three Title, a mythical award that bestowed bragging rights to the victor. However, it was quite possible to conquer one opponent and then lose to the other, and as a consequence, the celebratory Bonfire might appear only sporadically, leaving subsequent generations of students at a loss about the tradition and how to perpetuate it.
...
That said, those who have been privileged to witness a proper Bonfire will tell you that it is yet another bit of Princetoniana that stays with you all your life, as the entire campus seems huddled around the heat and light of a massive campfire. Few can forget the sight of Nassau Hall, West College, Whig, and Clio Halls all bathed in a warm golden glow of victory, as they watch orange sparks float gently heavenward."
--From the Princetoniana Committee Homepage: http://ptoniana.ealumni.com/bonfire.asp
There's More!
As football gained in popularity, and as gridiron competition with Yale and Harvard became a regular event, the Bonfire came to symbolize capture of the Big Three Title, a mythical award that bestowed bragging rights to the victor. However, it was quite possible to conquer one opponent and then lose to the other, and as a consequence, the celebratory Bonfire might appear only sporadically, leaving subsequent generations of students at a loss about the tradition and how to perpetuate it.
...
That said, those who have been privileged to witness a proper Bonfire will tell you that it is yet another bit of Princetoniana that stays with you all your life, as the entire campus seems huddled around the heat and light of a massive campfire. Few can forget the sight of Nassau Hall, West College, Whig, and Clio Halls all bathed in a warm golden glow of victory, as they watch orange sparks float gently heavenward."
--From the Princetoniana Committee Homepage: http://ptoniana.ealumni.com/bonfire.asp
There's More!
- Check out some amazing pictures here: https://blogs.princeton.edu/mudd/2012/11/bonfire/