Lawrence Historical Society's Hogmanay Bonfire blazed again Saturday night, Jan. 8, in the meadow next to the historic Brearley House.

The annual event was scheduled to be held New Year’s Eve but had to be postponed a week due to safety concerns in the wake of the storm that dumped nearly a foot of snow on Dec. 26.

An estimated 250 people braved the cold and the two or three inches of new snow that fell earlier in the day Saturday to watch as the bonfire was lit a little after 6 p.m. by Janet Bickal, a past president of the historical society.

She was assisted by Joe Logan, the historical society’s “fire master.”

Hogmanay is a Scottish New Year's Eve tradition at which participants celebrate the arrival of the new year and cleanse themselves of all the bad experiences of the previous year.

One of the ways Hogmanay participants do this is by writing a list of the bad things from the past year that they want to forget.

Before the fire was ignited Saturday, attendees were invited to toss their lists into the large pile of wood so the paper – and the bad memories written on them – would be consumed by the flames.

Hamilton resident Graham Kronk entertained the crowd by playing the bagpipes as the flames raged.  Later, he played the fiddle as attendees toured the inside of the Brearley House.