Edinburgh Samhuinn Parade

Where: Edinburgh, usually Calton Hill but 2022 in Holyrood Park
When: 31st October
Time: Usually 7pm - 10pm

 

Copyright Richard Winpenny for Beltane Fire Society. All Rights Reserved. www.beltane.org / www.facebook.com/beltanefiresociety

The ancient Celtic festival  Samhuinn (or Samhain) is enthusiastically celebrated every year in Scotland’s capital city, usually on the atmospheric Calton Hill (but exact location for 2021 as only revealed upon registration to keep numbers manageable!). Samhain evolved over time into the modern Hallowe’en and shares the same date, marking the turning of the year and the longer nights. I quote here from the event information kindly provided by the organisers: “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.The story follows the ideas of the overthrowing of Summer by Winter, with a transition between the Summer and Winter Kings. This is overseen by the Cailleach, a Celtic representation of the Goddess, or Divine Hag. The transformation from Summer to Winter is supported by the energies and interactions of the Summer and Winter courts – through performance, music and dance. The narrative focuses on this conflict and its resolution, but also focuses on the transition that many aspects of life take during the changing of the seasons.”  The festival has been running for twenty years and has moved location more than once. Expect fire, dancing, drumming, drama and more in a unique re-imagining of an ancient festival celebrating the turn of the seasons. A procession of fire, drums and costumed participants makes its way to a stage in the heart of Edinburgh where characters from ancient lore enact the end of summer and the rise of winter.

Helpful Hints

In 2025 it should be on Friday 31st October.

The Beltane Fire Society is a registered Scottish charity run by volunteers, dedicated to keeping the ancient Celtic calendar alive and sharing skills of street theatre, costume-making, folklore, music and immersive performance.

The Samhuinn Fire Festival has been held in Edinburgh since 1995. Its Summer counterpart, Beltane, takes place on Calton Hill on the last day of April each year, and has been running since 1988. The festival celebrates one of the four Celtic quarter day festivals and marks the end of Summer and beginning of Winter.

This is normally a ticketed event with admissions also available on the day (though in 2021 all had to be booked n advance). Scroll down for the link to Citizen Tickets.

It’s organised by the same team as the Edinburgh Beltane festival (follow link below for their own website) which marks the opposite turn of the year in spring (see separate article). Wrap up well and maybe take a torch! When we went in 2016 it poured all evening, which did nothing to reduce the enthusiasm of the participants, though it washed off much of their body paint and stopped me taking as many pictures as I would have done otherwise! It also muffled the sound at the end of the video, but it still gives a good idea of what we experienced.

Click here for the event website: http://beltane.org

Here for tickets: https://www.citizenticket.co.uk/event/samhuinn-fire-festival/

and here for the Facebook page: http://facebook.com/beltanefiresociety




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