DAY 14 - BURNING THE CLOCKS, BRIGHTON

Wednesday, December 14th, 2011

Burning the Clocks calls itself “an antidote to the excesses of the commercial Christmas,” and marks the start of winter solstice or the first day of winter. It is a one-day festival in Brighton (taking place on Wednesday 21 December) and features lantern parades led by ‘Our Lady of Light,’ which wind their way down to the seafront, along with a fire show and fireworks. People gather together to make paper and willow lanterns, which they then carry through the city and burn on the beach as a token of the end of the year. Lanterns are invested with wishes, hopes and fears for the coming solstice, which are passed on to the fire.