This year, we made a big push to reach out to our members and audience online, mostly through this blog and Facebook but also through other social media outlets. The goal of this was not just to keep in touch with everyone (and help you all keep in touch with each other) but also to raise awareness of BFS and our Festivals on a global, as well as local, scale.

And we did it, massively, with around 70,000 views on our blog and a reach of hundreds of thousands through Facebook. 2012 has seen our circle expanding beyond what we imagined at the beginning of the year. Our #beltane2012 Twitter hashtag even got mentioned in a newspaper! But our collective bond is not just a virtual one – our community continues to go from strength to strength in the physical world too, in Edinburgh and beyond.

It has been an amazing year of excitement and inspiration, with treasured memories and beautiful experiences shared and created, connections made and a lot of love and joy echoing through our unique group of members and friends. We worked together to create an exhibition marking our 25th anniversary, enjoyed a misty, atmospheric and extra-fire-filled Beltane, and saw record audience numbers turn out to bear witness to our Samhuinn celebration.

2012 also saw friends new and old combining their efforts and dedicating time and passion to hosting community events, skill sharing and even a heavy dose of painting and decorating! We welcomed a host of new members into our wonderful family and worked to turn our ideas into reality with vibrant enthusiasm.

So, wherever in the world you’re reading this from, lets raise a glass of mead/strong black coffee/herbal tea to 2013 and the continued opportunity to celebrate and create together!