Burning the clock is annual event which is held on 21st of December in Brighton to celebrate the shortest day/longest night of the year.
Participants carry their handmade paper and willow lanterns during the procession. They are parading from Brighton City Centre to sea front and burn on the beach as a token for the end of year. The event is to bring the whole city together to celebrate and reflect on the past year. The lantern makers become part of the show as they invest the lanterns with their wishes, hopes, and fears and then pass them into the fire.
The parade also plays host to a number of local samba bands, which are plentiful in Brighton, that liven up the atmosphere with music and dancing.
Background
The Burning the Clock is founded in 1993, created and organized by Same Sky, who is community arts charity. The core costs is funded by Brighton and Hove City Council, but it is heavily reliant on online crowdfunding and the support of local businesses to continue the event. Burning the Clocks is also supported by the general public’s donations on the night.
https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/burning-the-clocks-2019
Burning the Clocks has a unique theme every year and in 2019 it is a reflective one, in response to the current challenges of global warming, community cohesion and migration. The title is taken from Marcel Proust’s masterpiece “A la recherche du temps perdu”. The theme relates to shared memories, lost things, things we want to keep and treasure and moments that we hold dear and that have “made us”. Above all how we all have a common humanity forged by sharing our lives, loves and memories.
https://radseason.com/event/burning-of-the-clocks-brighton-united-kingdom/
The Event Route
The parade starts from New Road at 6.30pm and arrives at Madeira Drive at around 7.15pm, when lanterns are passed onto the bonfire and the fire display begins. The event finishes at around 8pm. The parade makes its way through North Street, Ship Street, East Street, onto the Seafront and along to Madeira Drive for the finale.
More details can be found here..
