Winter Lights: Alison and Joplin Wistar-James
It sure is dark out there. And during this season of long nights and short, short days, VFC staff have connected with Vermonters from a variety of backgrounds to explore how people share light—both literally and metaphorically—during the darkest time of the year.
“There’s something hugely special about a fire that’s this big. It feels like it’s the fire that’s bringing the sun back into the sky.
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On the first Saturday in January Alison and Joplin Wistar-James of Shelburne, VT have a bonfire...a bonfire made up of over a hundred dried out Christmas trees collected from friends, neighbors and local organizations. This tradition started almost 70 years ago with Joplin's parents in Pennsylvania.
Even though they can’t gather with friends and neighbors in person this year, the fire will still burn.
Alison & Joplin’s bonfire in 2017
This seasonal segment is part of the Vermont Folklife Center’s Listening in Place project, a program that fosters connections between Vermonters throughout the pandemic and beyond. Click below to learn more about Listening in Place and tell us how you are sharing light this season: