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Rotary hosts 12th Night Celebration, mild weather draws hundreds
January 10, 2020 · 0 Comments
On Friday, January 3, at 6:30 p.m., the Rotary Club of Alliston hosted its annual 12th Night Celebration – Burning of the Green, at Riverdale Park in Alliston
Alongside firefighters from The Town of New Tecumseth and with help from the Town itself, people of all ages came out to watch former Christmas trees create the biggest bonfire yet, while enjoying some mild weather and hot dogs/hot chocolate for just 25¢ – provided by Country Meat Cuts of Utopia.
The Burning of the Green, held in the Rotary Pool parking lot area, is a festival marking the coming of the Epiphany, or the day when the nativity story states the wise men visited the infant Jesus. In Western Church traditions, the Twelfth Night concludes the Twelve Days of Christmas, and various cultures have developed a range of special festivities to mark the occasion. A belief has arisen in modern times, that it is unlucky to leave Christmas decorations hanging after Twelfth Night – thus, here in New Tecumseth, even the tree itself gets burned.
The event, as always, was well attended, and although there was no snow, and tobogganing is forbidden on any Town owned property, families stood and watched the fire from the sloped edges of the Rotary Pool property.
By Wendy Gabrek
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