This series of four day schools will explore some of the most influential festivals, customs and traditions that have been important for centuries and are very much part of our year cycle today.

Internationally-acclaimed folklorist Dr Juliette Wood, and literature specialist Dr Dimitra Fimi will guide you through the folk customs, beliefs, traditions, literature and popular culture representations of Halloween, the Twelve Days of Christmas, and Spring and Summer Festivals.

Things that go Bump in the Night: Halloween in Literature and Folklore
Saturday, 15th October 2011, 10am-3pm *£70.00

This day school will explore the development of Halloween through the ages: from an ancient celebration of the transition from summer to winter to its modern incarnation as a children’s festival and a time of the year for horror films and scary stories. We will look at Halloween in Britain and America, as well as other festivals associated with the souls of the dead.

The Twelve Days of Christmas: Customs, Traditions and Literature from Christmas to Epiphany
Saturday, 10th December 2011, 10am-3pm *£70.00

The customs, beliefs and folk traditions of the Twelve Days of Christmas are rich and fascinating. This day school will investigate the folklore and literature of Christmas, Boxing Day, New Year and Epiphany, in a journey from Christmas past to Christmas future. We will also look at other winter rituals and festivals of light in different traditions of the world.

Valentine Hearts, Easter Eggs and Beltane Fires: Spring Festivals in Folklore and Literature
Saturday, 25th February 2012, 10am-3pm *£70.00

Is Valentine’s Day a modern invention? Why do we have Easter Eggs? What is St. David’s Day all about? How are May Day traditions associated with the ‘Celtic’ festival of Beltane? These are some of the questions that this day school will explore. Join us for a journey through spring festivals in folklore, literature and film.

Midsummer Nights: Summer Traditions and Literature
Saturday, 12th May 2012, 10am-3pm *£70.00

For centuries, the summer solstice had been celebrated with bonfires, feasting and merrymaking. In Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream the fairies mingle with mortals, and in many places in Britain a variety of summer customs persist. This day school will look at local, national and international summer beliefs and folklore, including their literary representations.



Special offer: book onto all four courses
before 15th October 2011 for £240.00
*Cost includes lunch, refreshments and a certificate of attendance.
To book your place on one or all of the day schools please contact:
Huw Jones/Donna Hendy: 029 2041 7078/6577, email: cseenterprise@uwic.ac.uk