Celebrate the end of the harvest time with Celtic storytelling in an ancient roundhouse!
Single ticket £18
Join us to celebrate Samhain with an evening of storytelling and crafting in the atmospheric surroundings of the Great Roundhouse at Butser Ancient Farm. Settle around the fire as Jonathon Huet, The Woodland Bard, recites the ancient stories of the Celtic traditions with gentle drumming, poetry and prose to honour the ancestors and connect us with our ancient roots.
Samhain is a Celtic festival marking the end of the harvest season and the beginning of Winter, or the ‘darker half’ of the year. Traditionally, it is celebrated from 31 October to 1 November as the Celtic day began and ended at sunset. This falls about halfway between the Autumn Equinox and the Winter Solstice.
Samhain was seen as a liminal time when the boundary between this world and the next could be crossed more easily, and this meant the spirits and fairies could more easily come into our world. The souls of the dead were also thought to revisit their homes seeking hospitality, so feasts were arranged at which the souls of dead kin were beckoned to attend and places set at the table for them.
There is an opportunity to make a craft to connect with the creativity of this time, and take home with you as a token. We will be running drop-in workshops before the storytelling begins and in the interval to allow you to learn drop spinning in order to craft your own natural mini besom.
There will be a bar selling locally produced mead and a range of alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks. Hot drinks and snacks will also be available to be purchased from our shop.
Come and join us to gather around the fire when there’s magic in the air!
ABOUT THIS EVENT
An opportunity to celebrate Samhain in a unique setting and explore ancient stories of the Celtic traditions.
Learn the stories and poems of this time of year, and gets hands on with ancient skills and crafting.
This event is primarily aimed at adults but older children who would enjoy the storytelling are also welcome.
All proceeds of this event go towards supporting the ongoing research and educational work of Butser Ancient Farm.
INCLUDED IN YOUR TICKET
A unique chance to celebrate the final harvest at the farm and connect with the ancient traditions of our ancestors. Two hours of storytelling will allow you to align with the seasons as the wheel of the year turns towards the Winter months.
There is an optional mini besom workshop that involves a small additional fee available on the day.
USEFUL INFORMATION: Please wrap up warm with sensible footwear as it can be chilly at the farm at night. You may wish to bring a blanket or cushion to make your seat more comfortable. Please bring a torch as it may be dark returning to your car to the end of the event.
TIMINGS: This special event starts at 6.30pm, so please arrive at 6.15pm. The event will finish at 9pm.
FIRES: Please note there will be an open fire in the house during this event.
CASH: There will be a cash bar at this event and the opportunity to buy hot drinks, snacks, and gifts in our shop.
ALCOHOL: No alcohol to be brought into the event.
ANIMALS: We are sorry but dogs (apart from assistance dogs) are not invited to this special event.
REFUNDS: We cannot offer any refunds on tickets unless Butser Ancient Farm needs to cancel the event due to unforeseen circumstances.
SPECIAL EVENT: This event is not included as general admission for our annual pass holders. This ticket is for access to the timed event only and does not include full admission to the Farm.
COVID-19: We will be complying with any relevant Covid-19 government guidance in place at the time of the event including the latest guidance on mask wearing. If you have any Covid-19 symptoms or have been asked to self-isolate, please do not attend.