Easter pyrotechnics

2014-04-19 20.35.14-1

Every year, Keith and Steve take a break from mending the roof, plastering and painting walls that need it, collecting clothes to be sold by the ton for the benefit of the parish, and generally helping me to win the fight to prevent all the plant from falling into decay. On Holy Saturday, they prepare the Easter fire in an oil drum that has been sawn in half. Last year it proved quite difficult to get near enough to the fire to take a light using a four foot stick, so this year's was more modest, though still far from being one of those "thimble symbols" decried by the best liturgists. (Thanks to Mulier Fortis who has been experimenting with the camera on her new telephone. See her new photos on Flickr.)

The servers were suitably impressed and I like the way that it adds an elemental note to the ceremonies (am I being too promethean here?) However, we are quite tame compared with the residents of Chios who have a rocket-firing competition between two rival parishes during the Easter Vigil.



If we were to do this in Blackfen, it would be unfair to target the smaller parish of Bexley to the East, and a breach of diplomatic protocol to launch fiery projectiles westward at Eltham, since that is in another Deanery. So I would have to choose between St Stephen's, Welling to the North, and St Lawrence's, Sidcup to the South. Perhaps I should put it on the Agenda for December's Deanery Meeting.

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