Farewell to 2013

The Allendale tar barrel men carry the burning whiskey barrels on their heads which are 2ft across, primed with tar, shavings and a pint of paraffin as part of the Baal fire in Allendale, England, on December 31, 2013. The Allendale Baal Fire takes place every year on 31st December as a farewell to the past 12 months which has been in existence since the Dark Ages. On New Year's Eve the small town is full of visitors and down from the hill farms come the shepherds, flockmasters and farm workers to watch or take part in the Baal.  (AP Photo/Scott Heppell)

The Allendale tar barrel ceremony dates back to 1858, making it a recent procession compared to others in Great Britain. Although it is often claimed to come from pagan roots or Viking ceremonies, there are various other sources that say it started when the town's New Year's Eve parade, normally lit by candles, took place on a night of gusty winds that made keeping the candles lit impossible. The problem was ingeniously solved and a tradition was born by using barrels of lighted tar carried on the heads of the town's strongest men. The procession culminates with the ‘Baal’ fire lit at midnight, but it's very likely that "Baal" in this context is more likely to be a contraction of barrel than homage to a pagan deity.

The barrels, carried on the head of ‘guisers’,  those in disguise or costume, are cut down in size, and the flames issue from paraffin soaked wood chip and cloth. The right to carry a barrel is hereditary, and the source of great pride and pleasure. The guisers wear strange uniforms of bright colors and heavy gloves to protect fingers from the fire. Flat hats insulate the head and give some cushion to the barrels which are said to weigh 30lb or more.