Fire pits are back

The Return of the Fire Pit

 Few things in modern life carry the rustic appeal of the fire pit. Sitting around a raging fire, hands wrapped around a steaming cup of coffee, or perhaps a chilled cocktail or trendy microbrew, lends a sense of intimacy to a gathering of friends and hearkens back to simpler, even primitive, times.

It is no surprise that contemporary folk are drawn to modern recreations of the traditional fire pit. Indeed, humans can be thought of as carrying this drive to build fire within their very bones. Fire is not only a powerful tool for survival; it may be the very thing that civilized early humans. In ancient Greek mythology, the Titan god Prometheus, upon observing the suffering of the humans he had painstakingly molded out of clay, defied Zeus’ will to bring his creation something that would civilize humanity: fire. This gift allowed primitive humans to cook food, keep warm, and provided a hearth around which they could draw near and form community.

From that point forward, fire and the hearth became a central organizing principle for humanity. Indeed, the early fire pit was so unilaterally important in ancient tribes that modern archaeologists use carbon dating to determine when particular regions became populated or died out based on the charcoal still remaining in a primitive fire pit.

Certainly today’s fire pit is a far cry from the first campfire lighted by an ancestral human. Savvy hosts can now entertain around a wide range of fire pits suited for the simplest or most sophisticated sensibilities. However, the underlying principles remain the same. Fire pits are back, not only because they are trendy, but because they also allow people to gather, no matter the weather, and enjoy the company of friends and family in an atmosphere that can be described as magical.

So, strike a match. Kindle a flame. Slide a skewer through a succulent piece of bacon, an apple dredged in butter and brown sugar, or even the traditional marshmallow, and enjoy this postmodern spin on a timeless practice.