The arrival of winter

All the signs of arrival of winter are here. The clocks have gone back, I am biking home from work in the dark, I am wearing long pants, even the down jackets came out of the wardrobe, and ladies in green body paint are parading down the streets.

Last tuesday we watched the Samhuinn Fire Festival on a particularly frigid evening. Organised by the Beltane Fire Society this festival celebrates the Celtic new year and marks the end of the summer. Colourful, noisy and mischeivious, a procession moved down a main street, then a range of performers did their thing on stage. Rooted in Celtic or pagan traditions, these were mostly baffling to the crowd, but they loved it nonetheless. This was the real haloween, not that witches hat and pumpkin nonsence. My favourite part was an epic battle between two May kings who stripped down to body paint and battled with a range of sticks, swords, battle axes and flaming balls on chains. I think winter won (predictably) so into the dark season we go.