Stonehaven Fireballs, Scotland Inspired by Sarah's post about the Fire Festival in Iran here is one from Scotland. Do you have a similar type of festival in your country? Stonehaven Fireballs, Scotland Arrive in good time to see the fire poi. Picture courtesy of deepriver.images. The fireball-festival takes place on Hogmanay, the 31st of December. Moments before the old Town House bell chimes midnight, welcoming in January 1st, the music of a small pipe band is heard, fireballs are lit and swingers emerge from the street leading to the harbour, helping to speed the Old Year on its way and to herald in the New in ancient style with a highly dexterous pWhat was the original significance of such a fire festival? Fireball swinging - who needs a reason? Although the Stonehaven fireball-festival is now nothing but a spontaneous tourist attraction, two very different explanations of the origin of similar pagan fire customs have been given: 1. On the one hand it is supposed that they were sun-charms or magical ceremonies intended to ensure the necessary supply of sunshine for men, animals and plants by parading fires which mimic on earth the source of light and heat in the sky. This may be called the solar theory. 2. On the other hand it is maintained that ceremonial fires were simply purificatory in intention, designed to destroy all harmful influences, whether personal like witches, demons and monsters or impersonal as a kind of pervading taint or corruption of the air. This may be called the purification theory. To find out more about the festival have a look at their history and photographs http://www.stonehavenfireballs.co.uk/