Edinburgh celebrates Samhuinn 2023
In Holyrood Park thousands of people gathered to celebrate the end of summer and the beginning of winter in the ancient Celtic tradition of Samhuinn.
The Samhuinn Fire Festival represents the battle between the Summer and the Winter Kings as the Cailleach gets ready for winter. On Tuesday night in a break in the stormy weather people gathered to watch the revelries.
Sammi Searle, Chair of Beltane Fire Society, said: “Last night’s Samhuinn Fire Festival was truly spectacular and a hearty welcome to the winter season. Our festivals are living, breathing entities that bring together both the community and the landscape and it’s always so inspiring to see how our incredible volunteers come together as the seasons turn to unite us all with their passion and talent.
“Enormous and heartfelt thanks go out to everyone involved who gave it their all and made this night so special, and to our audience who never fail in helping us create such a magical atmosphere. We hope this was truly a night to remember.“
The modern Samhuinn Fire Festival has been running since 1988 and is the autumn and winter counterpart to Beltane Fire Festival, which is held at Calton Hill on 30th April. The events are immersive experiences, which involve modern re-imaginings of ancient Celtic festivals to mark the turning seasons, and the turning of the wheel.
The Beltane Fire Society is a charity run by volunteers, dedicated to marking the fire festivals of the ancient Celtic calendar and keeping traditional Scottish skills of street theatre, music and pageantry alive.
