Zugarramurdi Celebrates Summer Soltice
We know how much coverage the winter solstice gets, what with its Pagan
rituals, Hanukkah, Christmas and other parties. Johnny Lead Foot
covered the shortest day in the year and all these festival of lights
in this post: JLF: The Evolution of "Our" Christmas.
But what about the longest day of the year, the summer solstice? Apart from being a great day to get married, it is a time of festivities in the northern hemisphere for the upcoming summer. Festivals galore. Let's take a look at Zugarramurdi's celebration in Spain. It makes me want to go back to my home country, get a torch and party in a cave. This is a National Geographic photo that shows the scene.
That is a cave. A hole in the planet. It's in the northern Spainish town called Zugarramurdi, and it's where sassy people get together to celebrate the summer solstice with a pagan ritual. Pagan rituals, apparently, kick ass.
But what about the longest day of the year, the summer solstice? Apart from being a great day to get married, it is a time of festivities in the northern hemisphere for the upcoming summer. Festivals galore. Let's take a look at Zugarramurdi's celebration in Spain. It makes me want to go back to my home country, get a torch and party in a cave. This is a National Geographic photo that shows the scene.
That is a cave. A hole in the planet. It's in the northern Spainish town called Zugarramurdi, and it's where sassy people get together to celebrate the summer solstice with a pagan ritual. Pagan rituals, apparently, kick ass.
The first thing you notice in the photo is that there is no electrical illumination. The only light source is fire, which is similar to HAWTaction headquarters: we only live by the light of fire and the glow from computer monitors. Once everyone's loaded in, the sun is down and the fire's going, then the party starts. It involves fireworks, screaming, drinking, dancing and general Spanish debauchery. I can't think of a more fun thing, ever.
This recognition of the summer solstice in Zugarramurdi goes back hundreds of years, where pagans would gather to celebrate the upcoming warm days. Now, the Spanish Catholic Church, which was essentially the government at that point, didn't want these pagan celebrations going on in their soil. So, as was the style in the 17th and 18th centuries, they tried participants on witches charges. It was like a "hunt" for "witches," or something. (If only there was a saying for that.) The guilty were burned at the stake. Essentially, Zugarramurdi was Spain's Salem for a couple of hundred years, but with the Inquisition mixed in... and the Inquisitors had no sense of fun.
So, I'm setting the date for June 21, 2009 in Zagarramurdi, Spain. HAWT action [hot ak-shuh
n] party! Come ON, readers! I can't wait to take off the clothes, get the body paint, grab a torch and join the infidel pagans. Oh, I love living now... as opposed to a few hundred years ago.
Zugarramurdi, from its name to its sumer stolstice celebration, is total HAWT action [hot ak-shuhn].
This recognition of the summer solstice in Zugarramurdi goes back hundreds of years, where pagans would gather to celebrate the upcoming warm days. Now, the Spanish Catholic Church, which was essentially the government at that point, didn't want these pagan celebrations going on in their soil. So, as was the style in the 17th and 18th centuries, they tried participants on witches charges. It was like a "hunt" for "witches," or something. (If only there was a saying for that.) The guilty were burned at the stake. Essentially, Zugarramurdi was Spain's Salem for a couple of hundred years, but with the Inquisition mixed in... and the Inquisitors had no sense of fun.
So, I'm setting the date for June 21, 2009 in Zagarramurdi, Spain. HAWT action [hot ak-shuhn] party! Come ON, readers! I can't wait to take off the clothes, get the body paint, grab a torch and join the infidel pagans. Oh, I love living now... as opposed to a few hundred years ago.Zugarramurdi, from its name to its sumer stolstice celebration, is total HAWT action [hot ak-shuh
n].Join the HAWTaction reader group on Facebook.
This party was made for me. I'm in for June 21, 2009.
I'm the best blogger ever.
- Juanito Plomo Pie
This looks like Zion from the two crappy Matrix sequels. Wow.
JLF---I'm in too. Perhaps we can carpool and reduce our carbon footprint.
This looks barbaric but fun! I wonder if the Spanish make smores?