:See also campfire. A bonfire is a large controlled outdoor fire. The word is a contraction of "bone fire" (cf. for example "kostjor" in Russian - from "kost'" meaning "bone"). The practice is believed to derive from the Celtic festival of Samhain when animal bones were burnt to ward off evil spirits. In Great Britain, bonfires are particularly associated with Guy Fawkes Night (also known as fireworks night or bonfire night), an annual commemoration of the discovery of the The Gunpowder Plot on… (More on Bonfire)