Imbolc festival celebrates the traditions of our pagan past
BUNCLODY was buzzing with activity last weekend when the town staged its annual Imbolc festival, which is based around ancient pagan traditions.
A festival of light, the tradition of Imbolc was to overcome the affects of the winter darkness and celebrate the onset of light and the coming year.
The festival has its origins in ancient Celtic culture and is based around the Celtic culture of healing and the link between the human spirit and the earth around us.
The festival was a veritable celebration of arts and culture and served to highlight Bunclody’s continually growing reputation as one of the creative and cultural hotspots of not just county Wexford but also the south east region.
The town was completely transformed as festival participants enthusiastically embraced the spirit of the occasion, with colourful parades taking place throughout the centre of Bunclody.
Local groups, businesses and individuals got fully behind the event, which is spearheaded by the local ArtBank initiative.
The array of costumes was fantastic and added greatly to the occasion.
For local children, the festival had numerous highlights, and the opportunity to participate in a very colourful, vibrant street parade was the cause of much obvious excitement for the younger people in attendance.
While the event itself was light hearted and upbeat, the winter darkness has traditionally been associated with having a negative impact on people.
However, with the Imbolc festival, the organisers aimed to counteract that by celebrating the fact that from the winter darkness the light of spring signals the beginning of increased sunlight and the onset of summer and the warmth that comes with it.
In addition to the street parade and local art exhibitions, the event also included a number of brilliant music performances by local musicians and groups.