Sunday 1 January 2012

Happy New Year!








The people of Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire see in the New Year with a Fireball Festival. Participants (known as 'Swingers') make a package of flammable material which they then contain in chicken wire, attaching a wire handle. In the last minutes of December 31st, the packages are lit and paraded through the streets, the swinger whirling the fireball around them. It's quite spectacular, and a Health and Safety nightmare.

The meaning behind the ceremony is hotly (ho ho) debated, but it either signifies a plea to the Gods for continued sun, or the fire symbolises purification as one year ends and another begins. More here.

Happy New Year to all! & Happy Birthday to Island Of Terror, one year old today (that's seven in blog years).

I may not post every day in 2012, as that's a bit of a treadmill that I sometimes struggle to stay on, and I'm going to take a week off or so now, but please check back regularly or subscribe - there's a lot still to come, including, ulp, new films.

Paul (U-W)

3 comments:

  1. Happy New Year Paul! Have you ever been to the Fireball Festival? There's something similar in the town of Liestal here in Switzerland during carneval season (called Chienbäse).

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  2. Never been, Dispo, would love to, though. Would be cool to see the festivities in Liestal, too.
    Happy 2012!

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  3. In Liestal, they pull big fires on iron chariots through the city, others carry wooden burning brooms. This video on YouTube gives an ok impression:
    http://youtu.be/_x08wDFt_68
    I've been there, it's great...

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