The Montol Festival is a six day an annual heritage, arts and community festival which is held every year between the 14th to the 21st December, in Penzance. The Festival is a revival and reinterpretation of many of the traditional cornish midwinter rituals along with Christmas traditions which are formerly practiced in Penzance and across the Lands End Pennisula. Montol is organised each year by the same creative team who organise the Golowan Festival. During the festival there are a series of workshops which are dedicated to making lanterns, which are then used in a large lantern parade on the 20th December in Penzance town center. The parade is then followed by lighnting the beacon at the Lescudjack Hill Fort, which is one of the most acient sites in the Penzance parish. During the main event the people of Penzance take part in many of the Cornish traditional customs of Midwinter and Christmas including Guise dancing, which is where many people wear traditional masks, dress in disguise and wear mock formal costume, the lighting of several fire beacons throughout the town and chalking of the Mock and the Cornish Yule log. The processions start at 6pm from St John's Hall, with a second procession starting at 10.30pm in Chapel Street Penzance, followed by a Montol Street party where Chapel Street is closed for street entertainment. Traditional music, fire throwing, carols and the theme of light and darkness are also part of the proceedings.
No comments:
Post a Comment