Burning the Clocks

=The celebration=

Burning the Clocks is winter solstice festival that takes place each year in Brighton, UK. Founded in 1993, the celebration centers round a procession of lanterns and costumes, made from withies (willow canes) and white tissue paper, lead by local bands with a carnival atmosphere. The procession makes its way through Brighton city centre to the seafront where the festivities culminate in a lantern bonfire, accompanied by fireworks. The costumes all include a clockface to represent the passing of time, although each year has a slight change of theme.

Same Sky, an arts initiative first organised the event to commemorate the Co-Op's 150th Birthday. They explain: "Burning the Clocks is an antidote to the excesses of the commercial Christmas. People gather together to make paper and willow lanterns to carry through their city and burn on the beach as a token for the end of the year ... The lantern makers become part of the show as they invest the lanterns with their wishes, hopes, and fears and then pass them into the fire. Same Sky are masters at creating new urban rituals to replace those traditional festivals that were lost in the dash to be new and non superstitious." [http://www.burningtheclocks.co.uk Burning of the Clocks homepage] accessed November 23, 2007]

In 2000, [http://www.virtualmuseum.info Brighton Museum] commissioned a costume from Same Sky artist Nikki Gunson [ [http://www.virtualmuseum.info/collections/themes/burning_of_the_clocks/html/index.html Burning the Clocks] Gallery Theme from [http://www.virtualmuseum.info/ Brighton and Hove Museums] accessed November 23, 2007] . She created "Mother Time Keeper" and performed it in the parade before returning to the museum. Incidentally the festival took place on New Year's Eve' that year. Local colleges also participate; [http://www.park-college.ac.uk/ Lewes 6th Form College] have been contributing since 1998 and, in a more traditional participation, enjoy seeing their work go up in flames [ [http://www.park-college.ac.uk/xpurpose/dbpage.asp?pid=431 "Student's Work to Go up in Flames"] article from the [http://www.park-college.ac.uk/ Sussex Downs College] web page accessed November 23, 2007] .

ecularity

Although the spirit of the festival is carried unanimously, there is a small confusion. Same Sky confidently share that "...(they) take elements of the past… the delight in seasons… the celebration of place and home… the giving and sharing of thoughts and wishes… and put them into a secular format that can be enjoyed by all regardless of faith or creed" and "...(create) new urban rituals to replace those traditional festivals that were lost in the dash to be new and non superstitious". [http://www.burningtheclocks.co.uk Burning of the Clocks homepage] accessed November 23, 2007] Conversely, local rag, [http://www.theargus.co.uk The Argus] pointedly prefer "...(creates) new urban rituals to replace traditional festivals lost in the politically correct drive to be modern, "secular" and non-superstitious." [ [http://archive.theargus.co.uk/2006/12/22/223716.html "Huge crowds turn out for Burning the Clocks procession"] as published in the [http://www.theargus.co.uk The Argus] accessed November 23, 2007] , though elsewhere they make little mention of it [ [http://archive.theargus.co.uk/search?q=Burning+the+Clocks&l=100&ob=newest&dr= Search for "Burning the Clocks"] on the archives of [http://www.theargus.co.uk The Argus] ] . Many blogs and galleries often cite the parade as pagan. Fact|paganism of burning of the clocks|date=February 2007 This years burning of the clock has an Abrahamic religious theme of the Tower of Babel. [http://www.burningtheclocks.co.uk Burning of the Clocks homepage] accessed November 23, 2007]

References

External links

* [http://www.burningtheclocks.co.uk/ Burning the Clocks homepage]
* [http://www.sussexdowns.ac.uk/visual-arts/dbpage.asp?pid=436 Photos of Sussex Downs College students in costume]
* http://www.nikkigunson.com/