One of the best times to visit Cornwall is when the region comes alive with excitement with a festival, and during the winter months the highlight is the Imbolc Festival.
Also known as the Festival of Lights, the Feast of Imbolc is a great opportunity to see Celtic Irish culture on display in the area.
It is the festival that celebrates the end of winter and the arrival of spring and has been celebrated for hundreds of years. Visitors holidaying to the region should try to rent their Cornish cottage around February 2, as this is when the festival takes place.
Imbolc is one of the four main festivals on the Irish calendar, it is always celebrated every year at the beginning of February, as it is an important date on the calendar, halfway between the winter solstice and the spring equinox.
Tourists spending time in Cornwall during the Imbolc Festival should expect to see plenty of candlelight and candlelight. Most towns and cities will celebrate the festival, with larger celebrations expected in more populated areas.
The Fest of Imbolc is held throughout the United Kingdom, in Scotland, Wales and Ireland. It is associated with the goddess Brigid and the event is also known as Saint Brigid’s Day.
Communities come together to appreciate the first signs of spring by celebrating the festival.
This is usually done by lighting bonfires and candles and in Cornwall some of these festivities can be truly spectacular. Dancing around bonfires is common, as are small ceremonies with burning torches, which are popular to try to ward off bad omens while welcoming the new season.
Groundhog Day is a famous festival that is associated with the Imbolc Festival and traditionally it was a sign of the weather whether or not a hedgehog had a shade.
Without one it meant good weather and spring was on the way, but with a shadow it meant winter was going to continue. All year round Cornwall is a fantastic place to visit and when there is a festival it is even more charming.
Some popular events throughout the year include May Day, St Piran’s Day on 5 March, where people celebrate Cornwall’s patron saint, and Camborne Trevithick Day on the last Saturday in April.
