Oh My God! It’s raining red, Hallelujah! It’s raining red in Hobart
It’s been pouring red actually, over the past 16 days due to the annual winter contemporary arts and music festival, Dark MoFo run by MONA.
A few would say that Dark MoFo is a celebration of all things dark and sinister but I think it is a celebration of all things RED! It gets dark early here in Hobart at this time of the year, is cold and can be wet for days and on occasions, has smatterings of snow.
But, Tasmanians or “Blow-ins” like me, which means, you have moved from mainland Australia and now call Tassie home, are a tough lot. We don’t sit around couped up at home by the fire because it’s too cold. NO WAY!!! We get out there in all weather, rug up in our winter woollies and go to exciting, events that expand the boundaries, amaze and excite us, sometimes shock us and warm the cockles of our hearts and tummies.
Everyone gets in the spirit of things. Shops and businesses put red lights and displays in their windows. The lights under the Tasman Bridge are changed to red. Buildings are lit in red. Residents put red lights in their windows. (although…this may suggest something else!) This year, huge red upside down crosses were erected along the waterfront, much too some religious groups horror, which I am sure some readers saw in the news.
There is always an abundance of fire displays, light shows and warm open fires, food and drinks literally a few metres away from wherever you are.
Even on the beach at the crack of dawn for the Solstice Nude Swim there are warm fires. The swim is a fantastic event where nearly 1000 crazy people dressed in only white towels and red caps drop their gear on cue, to a red flare and plunge screaming into the freezing water as the sun rises. What better way to start the day!
I am proud to say I have participated in 5 of the 6, Solstice Nude swims. (last year I was sick) I am a regular cold water swimmer meeting early each Saturday morning with my swimming buddies to have a dip, all year round, no matter what the weather. (no wetsuits allowed, we are purists after all!)
The Winter Feast is open each night with a plethora of food, wine and beverage stalls and is amazingly decorated in RED, RED, RED!!! Red lights, red crosses, red curtains and candles and has live music and of course fires!
The big finale is on Sunday night, a parade in the style of the Ogha Ogha, a Balinese tradition to celebrate the end of The Day of Silence. Thousands joined the Dark MoFo parade, with the star attraction being a massive black spider. Along with a crazy looking red woman, a huge wild boar, a traditional effigy, thousands of red flags and riotous noise we paraded the streets to Dark Park where a huge spider web awaited. The spider was hoisted onto the web and then burnt, to massive cheers….glowing RED, of course!
So, I have had 16 days of being bathed in my favourite colour red and how satisfying it has been. Perhaps head down to Hobart next year and take a dip!
Kaye xx
Share this Content
