General Information about the item:
Title: Walking around the Bonfire on Homecoming Weekend
Form of Folklore: Customary/Ritual (Freshman Tradition)
Language: English
Place of Origin: Hanover, NH, United States
Informant: JG
Date Collected: November 11th, 2021
Informant Data: JG is a 20 year old freshman at Dartmouth College. She is originally from Boston, MA and played lacrosse at Phillips Andover. JG is older than most 25s because she decided to take a gap year last year. During her gap year she worked as a ski instructor at the Yellowstone Club in Montana. JG currently resides in Hanover, NH.
Contextual Data:
– Social Context: Dartmouth holds true to its strong community that goes back centuries. Graduated students remain close to the College and often come back to visit on Homecoming weekend. Part of the reason that graduated students will return is to see the next generation of Dartmouth students walk around the fire and become part of the community that the alumni so cherish. It is apparent just how many alumni come back when looking at the great amount of people that surround the outer ring of the bonfire.
– Cultural Context: Dartmouth prides itself on its long standing traditions and tries to uphold these traditions to the best of its ability. The bonfire has been a staple in these traditions and is one that is most looked forward to by the freshmen class. Walking around the fire resembles the students entering the Dartmouth community and it promotes cohesion among the freshmen class as they walk around the fire together.
Item: Every year on homecoming weekend, a bonfire is built at the center of the Green on Dartmouth’s campus. The bonfire is lit at night and the freshman class gathers and walks around the fire while alumni and other students cheer them on.
Associated File (courtesy of Dartmouth College, The Dartmouth):
Transcript:
Collector: “Why did (or didn’t) you take part in the homecoming bonfire? What made it worth taking part in?”
Informant: “I think a lot of us here are drawn to Dartmouth because we want to be part of a school that has a deep sense of tradition/history — at least I know that was one of the biggest pulls for me to apply here. The persistence of traditions like the homecoming bonfire are demonstrations of how fiercely spirited/attached Dartmouth students and alumni are to this school – getting to be a part of these traditions feels kind of like the first step in really becoming and bonding with that tight-knit network which is the Dartmouth community. During the bonfire, I was really able to see this come to life. As I walked one circle around the fire, I was able to see the faces of so many older students and alumni standing around the outer ring. It was comforting to know that they all came to show support for my class as we begin our years at Dartmouth ”
Collected by:
Nick Hepburn 20
Hampton, NH
Hanover, NH
Dartmouth College
RUSS 013