When I was growing up in the 1970s and 1980s, is was common to burn grass in early spring so that old dead grass of winter would be burned off to make way for the new grass that would grow in its place. This method worked and there is a certain smell of new growing grass. This practice originated by the farmers to revive their grass fields in Iceland, after the cold winter. This practice continued well into the 20th century and open fields within towns and cities were also burned for the same purpose in the spring. So when a was a kid, a group of kids would find a matchbox somewhere and together we would head out to the wild grass field on my neighborhood, where man had not touched the terrain (and still has not for the most part) and the wild grass grew along small boulders of ancient rock. We lit it on fire and watched it burn, as it was natural to see happen. One time the fire got out of hand and someone called the fire department. Soon after this custom fell into the sand of history and is mostly forgotten. I miss those days and that smell of fresh growing grass.
