Well, as I understand it, the Celts were into their fire festivals and using fire to celebrate their special days. So, on 21st December we went over to Alton Barnes in Wiltshire and witnessed the outlining of the Alton Barnes White Horse in fire. At least 50 people had gone onto the chalk figure of the white horse during the afternoon and surrounded the outline with containers in which to light the fires. As dusk fell these were all lit and the horse shone out across the Pewsey Vale - a really magical sight. I would have loved to have been up on the hill taking part in the celebration - but severe osteoarthritis in the knees prevented that, so the next best thing was to witness the lighting. I don't think this is a part of an unbroken ritual - but it's certainly in the spirit of what would have happened in pre-Christian times as an honouring of Epona, the horse goddess - and very apt in an area so rich in chalk horses carved into hillsides. Yes, I know most of these are relatively modern in origin, but at least the Uffington Horse (Dragon?) is very ancient and pre-Christian.

The ceremony had a special significance for me because I am an honourary villager of Ehrwald in the Tirol, which has a very longstanding tradition of Sonwendfeuer - the lighting of fire symbols on the mountains at Midsummer.