A celebration of the winter solstice with a procession of paper lanterns made to commemorate loved ones with a fire ceremony of the beach.

The Return of the Light - Lantern Making Workshop

Join us for this year's magical winter celebration on the beach. The procession lights up the night with creative lanterns made to remember the dearly departed, pets, grandparents and other family members whose memory we wish to celebrate.

This beautiful event is loads of fun while rich in meaning.

These tickets are for the lantern making workshop which happens on the Saturday afternoon at Oscar's on the seafront in St Leonards.. The parade itself happens from 6pm on the solstice itself, Monday 21st December, 2026 .

THE LANTERN MAKING WORKSHOP

Saturday 19th December - 12 noon until 4pm.

@ Forbidden Fruit, 22 Grand Parade, St Leonards, TN37 6DN.

You can drop by anytime to come and make your lanterns. There will be facilitators there to assist you and your family in making lanterns, all materials supplied. The process can take as little as half an hour and up to the whole afternoon if you really want to personalise your design.

All the materials are included and you can buy an add-on for extra kits when you book.

This year's event is limited to just 30 lanterns so first come first served. We will be arranging a system for booking slots this year to avoid a log jam.

After making your lantern, it could be taken home or left to dry at the venue until the parade.

SAMBA SOUNDCLASH PARTY AND PROCESSION

Monday 21st December: 6pm - 7pm @ Bottle Alley, Warrior Square, St Leonards.

On the solsitce itself, everyone gathers gather for a poignant moment with music, singing and dancing to light up the darkest night of the year.

It's all about community, creativity, and saying goodbye to the old and welcoming a new cycle and the return of the sun.

The Selkie will be open to provide hot drinks and refreshments during the parade and Oscar's will be open for drinks afterwards.

Bring your friends, your family, and your festive spirit for an unforgettable evening!

Description supplied by the event organiser.