The Making of Brittany: Our Dolphin Lantern

The Dunedin Midwinter Carnival is an annual celebration of the shortest day and longest night of the year. According to their website, "over 5,000 spectators will swarm Dunedin’s city centre to watch a spectacular Lantern Procession to celebrate the longest night and shortest day. The lanterns are a symbol of the returning light, of creativity and of community...(the parade will include) 700 people, 250 hand-made lanterns, 10 giant lanterns, costumed dancers, stilt walkers, musicians,
and fire-works."

This year's theme is 'Creatures of the Sea,' and community members can sign up for lantern workshops to make their own lantern to carry in the parade.  Last week, I signed Todd, Vanessa, and myself up for it, so this Saturday morning, we headed to Port Chalmers for our Lantern Making Workshop. Our workshop was a dolphin lantern workshop, and after the nice check-in lady told us that it would probably take us 3 hours to make a lantern, we decided to combine forces and make one lantern instead of three.

Point of interest: Every single other person there either was a child or the parent of a child.  Whatever. I'm in Dunedin for one year and one year only.  I'm doing the traditional Dunedin stuff no matter what.  :)  It took the three of us just over 2 hours to make our dolphin.  That's 6 hours of labor, but it was a kick-ass lantern. Below are a few pictures of our labor.

It could be exhausting at times.

Todd had to do some emergency surgery on the dophin's trap door.

But at last, the dolphin is done!

After a final inspection by the art fairy, we're able to take her home...

...to dry.

To see all the lantern making pictures, click on over to our Lantern Making photo album.

Why is our dolphin named Brittany you ask?  In honor of Brittany from Glee who delivered the BEST line of the entire season..."did you know that dolphins are just gay sharks?"

Welcome to the lantern world, Brittany.  See you at the parade!