Winter given the warmest of welcomes

Published on Thursday 1 November 2007 12:06

ANYONE walking down the Royal Mile last night might have thought they had walked on to the set of a horror film.

The street played host to the UK's biggest Hallowe'en party, with more than 5000 packed into Parliament Square for the city's Samhuinn festival.

The pagan event saw a modern retelling of a Galoshins folk play, in which the court of the Summer King is vanquished by that of the Winter King.

Organisers had asked crowds to come in fancy dress and the square was filled with devils, witches, vampires, monsters and ghouls.

Despite dark clouds overhead during the day, it was a warm evening and people started gathering at the entrance to the Castle Esplanade almost an hour before the parade started.

Stewards and police, along with the festival's Blue Man, kept the crowd in line as the festival wound its way to Parliament Square.

The parade was organised by the city's Beltane Fire Society.

>> Press PLAY to watch action from the Samhuinn festival

A spokeswoman for the society said: "This has certainly been our best ever Samhuinn, and I think it will have been one of the biggest crowds as well, so it is great that everything has gone so well.

"We were a bit concerned about the weather during the day, but in the end it was perfect, and all the performers were just delighted that so many people came along."

The Beltane Fire Society was created in the 1980s as a community arts project, celebrating the seasonal quarter-day festivals through street theatre.

It also organises the annual Beltane Fire Festival on Calton Hill to mark the start of summer.

The Samhuinn Festival marks the end of summer and is also known as the Celtic New Year.

It was also believed to be the night of the dead - a time for the spirits of the year's departed to pay one last visit to their relatives.

Producer Peter Renwick said the brightly dressed characters involved in the parade were not just students, who traditionally play a large part in these events, but professionals of all ages.

"It really does involve everyone, and they have all worked really hard to make it happen," he said.

Jon Clarke, chairman of the Beltane Fire Society, said: "We had the biggest crowd yet for Samhuinn, and they were fantastic. Many thanks to all those who showed their support, and of course a happy Samhuinn to all of them as well."

Police said the crowd had been very well behaved and that there had been no arrests. Medical staff reported no injuries.