Algorithms Riven
Beltane Fire Festival
Edinburgh, Scotland.
This event was extraordinarily fun to take pictures at. I've searched for Beltane celebrations in the US with similar stagecraft and scale, but they don't exist. I fear that my fellow Americans are far too conservative to tolerate them: too much paganism, nudity, and fire.
The best description of the Beltane Fire Festival is here, on its own website: beltanefiresociety.wordpress.com/about/about-beltane/
My own description: a few hundred performers gather at night on Calton Hill to act out an elaborate pagan ritual that marks the beginning of summer. Some wear extravagant costumes, and others wear hardly anything. Copious amounts of fire are involved. Several thousands of spectators gather around to watch or dance along.
The TL;DR version, from an unknown internet poster: "Druid rave".
Beltane Fire Festival
Edinburgh, Scotland.
This event was extraordinarily fun to take pictures at. I've searched for Beltane celebrations in the US with similar stagecraft and scale, but they don't exist. I fear that my fellow Americans are far too conservative to tolerate them: too much paganism, nudity, and fire.
The best description of the Beltane Fire Festival is here, on its own website: beltanefiresociety.wordpress.com/about/about-beltane/
My own description: a few hundred performers gather at night on Calton Hill to act out an elaborate pagan ritual that marks the beginning of summer. Some wear extravagant costumes, and others wear hardly anything. Copious amounts of fire are involved. Several thousands of spectators gather around to watch or dance along.
The TL;DR version, from an unknown internet poster: "Druid rave".