Brighton's Burning the Clocks light's the touch paper to this winter's season of fire and fireworks festivals. The primeval urge to light up the night comes into its own in the UK on the winter solstice, just a week away on December 21. On that day, the journey from sunrise to sunset in Britain will take only 6 to 7 hours (the shortest day of all at the top of Scotland).

With so much winter darkness, it's not surprising that so many of our winter festivals are centered on dramatic displays of fire. Festivals that today are seen as well-oiled, noisy nights out, have their roots in the Celtic and Viking fire rituals that were meant to encourage the return of the sun.

Fire celebrations kick off next Monday with The Burning of the Clocks in Brighton. There are loads more fire festivals and all that fire and brimstone is not only tremendous fun, most of the festivals are awfully photogenic. Read about some of the wildest festivals and see the videos:

• The Burning of the Clocks
• The Allendale Tar Barl
• The Stonehaven Fireball
• The Comrie Flambeaux

And winter solstice festivals are not unique to Britain. About.com's guide to Ireland, Bernd Biege, has collected a round up of Winter Solstice events around the world. Check out his Blog Carnival The Winter Solstice ... Not Just Newgrange. _{www.visitbrighton.com | UK Travel Blog | share on facebook | Twit This}

London's Trafalgar Square is multi-cultural this week as London's 30-foot tall Chanukah Menorah shares pride of place with its Christmas Tree, lit a few weeks ago.

The Menorah, an eight light candelabra and the symbol of the Jewish Festival of Lights, is lit to symbolize the ancient miracle of a night's supply of sacred oil lasting eight nights. Each night, another candle is lit until all eight are alight. London's Menorah, lit for the first night last night, will remain lit through December 18.

As a special treat, on the sixth night, December 16, you can join other Londoners in Trafalgar Square to celebrate the lighting with a Chanukah party featuring Chanukah foods and a live performance by Yiddish singer Shlomo Gertner.

Festivities get underway at 6p.m. with Deputy Mayor Richard Barnes lighting the Menorah at 6:20 p.m. Following the lighting, Chanukah Gelt (chocolate coins) will be distributed to the children and traditional Chanukah foods - doughnuts and potato latkes (pancakes), will be offered to spectators.

By the way, last year London Mayor Boris Johnson, pictured above, took a ride on a cherry picker and used a blow torch to light the Chanukah Menorah.

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Pamela Anderson and Henry "The Fonz" Winkler join a host of British and Australian soap stars, sports figures, reality television celebs and serious theatah luvvies to chew the scenery and generally make pratfools of themselves as the British panto season gets motoring

Now, if you don't know what a panto is, some of the above won't make much sense. But picture this, Pamela Anderson plays Aladdin's Genii and The Fonz dons Captain Jack eye make up as Captain Hook - in a traditional, British winter time family entertainment known as panto - or pantomime. Pantos, loosely based on familiar stories, have more in common with vaudeville and music hall than they do with the silent performers like Marcel Marceau.

This is the time of year that pantos get underway, entertaining families with riotous and slightly bawdy comedies all over the UK.

• Find a list of this year's top pantos around the UK
• Learn about what a panto actually is!

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I've just read the most wonderful new guide book of England...

...in the 14th century.

The Time Traveller's Guide to Medieval England: A Handbook for Visitors to the Fourteenth Century by Ian Mortimer, answers the questions you might have to ask if you were transported back to the Middle Ages. What would you eat? Where would you stay? How should you travel? What kind of crime exists - and what kind of punishment? What will you do for entertainment? For money? For medicine? For clothes?

"The past is a foreign country," the author says. "This is your guidebook." And, in fact, the book is written like a travel guide making it a fun way read the history of an age of chivalry, of good kings and evil ones, crusades, Chaucer and the anonymous author of Sir Gawain and the Green Knight.

I picked it up to read on a transatlantic flight over the Thanksgiving holiday and, for the first time, actually stayed awake to read it through all nine hours in the air.

If you are heading for England for vacation, or know someone who is, this book should be required reading before leaving home. It will add an extra dimension of understanding and pleasure to all the castles, half timbered houses, cathedrals, ancient village churches and landscapes visitors can expect to see in Britain.

I heartily recommend this - a great read and a fine present for someone on your list. (Buy Direct)

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