Approaching Dark, Returning Light

As we approach the turning of the year from dark back into the light, there are many celebrations and festivities that take place to mark this important moment.

One event that I attend regularly with my family is the Tree Dressing Day at the Weald and Downland Open Air Museum in West Sussex. 

The kids love making headdresses from greenery and decorating jam jars to turn them into lanterns. 



I enjoy watching the traditional dancing, mummer's plays and listening to the singing as performed by Mythago Morris dancers and Rabble Morris. 






Both groups have superb costumes and give awesome performances in the lead up to the grand procession around the museum's grounds, that culminates in everyone dressing two aspen trees with their lit lanterns and then performing a spiral dance about them.

Unfortunately I have not been able to directly participate in the spiral dance for the last few years, however I do get to stand beneath the aspen trees and watch everyone else swirl and twirl and rush and loop and whoop around me (and the trees!) - it is quite an experience :)