Ancient fire festival is rekindled again
FOR THOUSANDS of years the Winter Solstice has been celebrated with fire and dance - and for 13 years Wath has held its own Midwinter Fire Festival to mark the occasion, with this year's Festival being held on Sunday (December 21).
Traditions stretching back past our Viking heritage to the mysterious Celts have taken place on the shortest day to try to rekindle the fire of the sun and to turn the ever-darkening world around to light once again.
With blackened faces and blood-curdling cries the Wath Border Morris Team will process from the Parish Church via the Market Cross in the centre of town to the Rugby Club on the edge of the old wet moor.
The procession will be illuminated by flaming torches and will terminate in a free fireworks display.
This year is the 13th Wath Midwinter Fire Festival and it is now well-established in South Yorkshire's traditional events calendar. What started as a small gathering of enthusiasts has blossomed into a major street arts event attracting up to 500 spectators.
Starting off in the Parish Church Carol Service, where the Morris Team will be singing one of the traditional carols for which they are justifiably famous, there will be dancing outside after the service as the flares are sold to those who would process through the streets of this ancient town with the Morris Men.
Finishing at the Rugby Club for the massive fireworks display, the revellers will be able to buy hot pie and peas before the activities go inside for more traditional seasonal folk songs and carols and the death and ressurection Mummers Play.
The whole evening is free, although collections will be taken.
The event is organised and largely paid for by the Wath Morris Team, who perform their traditional midwinter morris dances collected in the Welsh borders.
The festival is part of their commitment to the local community in which they are based. The team has been performing in Wath, South Yorkshire, the UK and abroad for over 35 years and, although they draw their core support from Wath itself, they also have members who regularly travel to perform from all over Yorkshire.
The organisers are still looking for further community participation - anyone who would like to get involved can call them on 01709 873431.
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Weather for South Yorkshire
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny spells
Temperature: 12 C to 24 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
