Arcadia Scotland

As the days grow shorter and the temperature drops, there is perhaps no better way to say farewell to the summer months than by participating in the Samhuinn Fire Festival.  Held on the 31st of October each year, this Celtic festival marks the changing of the seasons with elaborate costumes, processionals and lots of body paint.  As the Beltane Fire Society describes:

At Samhuinn, the veil between the worlds draws thin and the spirits gather close to bear witness as the courts of Summer and Winter battle for control of the seasons. In her wild ecstasy of grief and sorrow, the Cailleach ushers the last breath of Summer’s opulent decadence into the beyond to make way for the icy storms of Winter’s dark reign."

This event is certainly not one to forget and we encourage you to join in on the fun!

This year the event will be held from 7-9pm on 31 October, in the Grassmarket in Edinburgh.  For more information on the festival, visit The Beltane Fire Society, or Wikipedia. 

In addition to Samhuinn, the Beltane Fire Festival marks the beginning of summer on 30 April each year. This event takes place on Calton Hill and one of our students had the pleasure of participating in the Spring 2013 Beltane Festival.