MAY 2010
www.celtic-connection.com
Page 9
Temperatures soar at annual Beltane Fire Festival
EDINBURGH - Hundreds of semi-naked performers, thousands of spectators, fire, dancing and drumming turned out to celebrate at the annual Beltane Fire Festival on CaltonHill.
An estimated crowd of 12,000 people swarmed on to the hill for the pagan-inspired spring ritual.
Spokeswoman Anna Barge said, "Beltane is a modern interpretation of a very, very ancient ritual that's happened in Edinburgh for thousands of years.
"We've got 350 performers in full body paint with drums and lighting and fire and magic and mystery.
"We've got a capacity of 12,000 and last year I think we had about 10,000, but it's a Friday night, so we're at capacity, and being on a Friday, the crowds are a bit more boisterous than usual.
"We have to advertise it as having 'lewd and lascivious behaviour', since it is a fertility festival.
CALTON HILL is the scene of the Beltane Fire Festival that reaches back into Celtic prehistory when 12,000 nature worshippers come to celebrate the return of spring.
connection between the May Queen and the Green Man, and that union starting spring. So there's a lot of energy, and there's a fair bit of...more interesting behaviour!"
Participants began preparations on Calton Hill on Friday morning, with many of them spending up to three hours being daubed head-to-toe in coloured body paints before the procession.
"It is celebrating the rebirth of the Producer Rob Sproul-Cran said,
"Anyone who comes along to these events can expect one of the most memorable nights of their lives. It's unique, there are very few events like it in the world, particularly because it's entirely volunteer-run.
"But it's also unique in what goes on. Thousands of years ago there used to be Beltane Fire Festivals on every hill in the country. It was a common celebration to mark the beginning of spring and to rebuild the community."
Craic - The Gaelic word for that combination of laughte chat and atmosphere that is unique to Irish socialising.
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