In Scotland folk festivals are not the thing of the past.
We still celebrate the two major festivals of Bealtainn and Samhuinn with street performances in Edinburgh. All over Scotland festivals based on the folk calendar can still be found such as Up Helly YA in Shetland, the Burryman in South Queensferry, the Riding of the Marches and so many more examples.
However, more modern thinking from neopagan and nu-age thinking has corrupted some of the amazing poetry these events originally held. It’s great to have a space to reflect on their original meaning outside of any particular religious perceptions and look at the meaning these festivals held for the folk of Scotland.