"When you do something, you should burn yourself up completely, like a good bonfire, leaving no trace of yourself" - Shunryu Suzuki
Through the seasons we are becoming immersed in all that is Mendham, and has been Mendham for the past 50 to 100 years, slowly absorbing the culture. The twelfth night celebration was hosted, naturally, by the fire department and is one of the traditions that has been continued annually without obvious question. It was an awesome display of fireman might, with the staff out in force. On the twelfth night after Christmas, or as close to as possible, you unload your undecorated (real) Christmas tree onto your verge, and for a small voluntary fee the fire department cart it away to the Green (which you can also do yourself). Then, after dark, the community gathers to drink hot chocolate and behold the spectacle of the biggest bonfire I have ever seen! It is pretty much all or nothing here. It was an amazing spectacle of the power of fire, and fireman bravado, but I am not entirely sure about the environmental impact!
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