For many years, New Year's Eve was celebrated at our house by watching the ball drop at Times Square and toasting each other with champagne. But in 2000 I read a magazine article that mentioned a family who burned their troubles on New Year's Eve. What a great idea! Instead of burning our problems in a fireplace, we decided to use an older method-a bonfire. Returning in a sense to the ancient celebrations of Yule and the Winter Solstice, the bonfire was a perfect way to light in the coming year, and to rid our farm of brush, and other wood junk at the same time. A cleansing ritual in more than one sense!

The first year we wrote our troubles on paper and the few of us present tossed them into the fire, feeling a little foolish. But as the paper lofted from my hand to the fire, I felt something lift from my shoulders. Perhaps the simple acknowledgement that I had these problems and could do nothing more about them than name and burn them was enough to lighten the load.

The following year I mentioned the ritual to an online storytelling group; the idea immediately grabbed their imaginations. "Can I send you my troubles to burn?" someone asked. "Sure," I replied. "Email them to me and I'll print them out and burn them."

Requests flooded in from readers and even from strangers who had heard about our fire from friends and family. "What if I don't want to tell you my problems? I'm embarrassed to put them on paper," one email asked. "Send me a sheet of paper that says, Burn this. I'll know what you mean."

By the third year, I was receiving emails early.

"Are you still doing your bonfire?"

"Of course," I'd answer. It had become an event by this time. More family members and friends braved our country road to join the circle around the fire.

Gradually the bonfire became our family holiday celebration; on New Year's Eve those who can make the trip journey to our house to celebrate the coming year with food, fire, friends and family. The group around the fire has grown to a pretty large number. We sing, talk, and enjoy being out in the night air to welcome in another year. The children help throw troubles sent from all over the world into the flames. Last year we had about 100 messages; each is tossed into the fire with a prayer and a thought for the sender.

Does burning troubles really make a difference? I remember one lady who sent her problems the first year. Hers was an impressive list: fear of losing her home, health and marriage problems, wayward children, no money, a car that wasn't running so she could not get to work. By the second year she reported that some issues were resolved-she had a better car, she had left her abusive husband and had a place to live. Year three showed more improvements-her children were doing better, her health improved and she had a steady part-time job. The fourth year she reported that the job had become full-time. I'm positive our fire didn't do all that! But having a place to recognize her problems helped her to define what she needed to fix; the rest was her doing.

If you can't have your own fire, please feel free to email your troubles to me this holiday season and I'll see to it that they get a merry burning in our bonfire. And for all readers of Two Lane Livin', I wish a merry, merry holiday season and a peace-filled new year.

Susanna "Granny Sue" Holstein is the mother of five sons and has 12 grandchildren. A librarian and professional storyteller, Granny Sue lives in Jackson County. She has several published works and a CD of stories and mountain ballads, and writes an online blog, www.grannysu.blogspot.com.