Burning of the Clocks is a contemporary community festival, a "new tradition" first organised in 1993. It celebrates the shortest day of the year and therefore usually takes place on the winter solstice. However in the year 2000 when Brighton Museum's lantern was performed the festival took place on New Year's eve.

The centrepieces of the celebration are huge lantern costumes made from withies (willow canes) and tissue paper and brilliantly lit from within. The main costumes are made by artists from Same Sky, a local community arts organisation, but thousands of people make their own lanterns and join the procession. The parade is accompanied by live music from local bands. It ends on the seafront. Here the 'burning of the clocks' takes place when the lanterns are burnt on a bonfire and a spectacular fireworks show takes place. With ceremonial splendour the old year is burnt along with the costumes and lanterns and fireworks make way for the New Year and the coming of spring.

Although the theme for these lanterns changes every year, all of the costumes must include a clockface to represent the passing of time.

- Mother Time Keeper Lantern in Brighton Museum's collection
- Making Mother Time Keeper
- Burning of the Clocks as a theme in Performance Gallery