17. BF Midsummer's Eve

Speaker: John WardMidsummer's Eve was celebrated on the 23rd of June. At the heart of the celebrations was the bonfire which had been so for centuries in saluting the sun at its height before it declined south once again. All ages were involved in the gathering of any material to complete the bonfire, including bones which were believed to allow the fire to burn longer. It is from bone that we get the original word bone fire later becoming bonfire. This ancient Irish tradition of bone burning was in imitation of ancient sacrifices with the extra crackling sounds and extra stray sparks of them adding to the grandeur and excitement of this annual spectacle. Unlike Bealtaine fires which were a festive celebration, these were communal fires that were lit to great excitement after the working day.© 2021-2022 Racontour Productions. This clip forms part of the Celtic Calendar audio archive from Racontour Productions. Feel free to share if enjoyed, but with a credit or a social media tag to Racontour Productions please.SPOTIFY: This platform has allowed us to be creative in ensuring you can access it on your smart phone with ease. Below are the Spotify options: -Celtic Calendar playlist - no music, just audio of all four festivals.Samhain folklore - music and lore for SamhainImbolc folklore - music and lore for ImbolcBealtaine folklore - music and lore for BealtaineLughnasa folklore - music and lore for Lughnasa