Ever since my early childhood, I've been crazy about reading and daydreaming in fantasy worlds, science fiction scenarios, and other fictional realities. My youth was largely spent in Hogwarts, Middle-earth, and Narnia.
Twenty-two years ago, when I was twelve, I first heard about Elfia (then still called Elf Fantasy Fair) on television, during a completely ordinary breakfast show that my grandmother always watched. I knew immediately: I have to go there. This was something for me. Together with my mother, I visited the festival, and I was sold on the spot. A Lord of the Rings marathon at school followed, a holiday to Ireland, and yearly visits to Elfia as soon as I'd saved up enough money. Fortunately, my mother enjoyed it too, which meant we also attended Celtic and Scottish-oriented events.
What appeals to me then — and still does now — about these festivals and events is that truly everyone is welcome. The people are open, warm-hearted, and genuinely interesting. Thanks to the relatively high concentration of intelligent and neurodivergent people, challenging, original, and out-of-the-box conversations naturally emerge.
During my student years, I was active for several years with the reenactment group Celtic Britain, where I met my current partners and several dear friends. How amazing is it to wake up in medieval clothing on a straw mat on the floor of a castle at –2 degrees, or in a bed on a Viking farm? You feel like a true time traveler — as if the science fiction books have become reality.
At Celtic WebMerchant, I've been turning my hobby into my work for thirteen years now, and I rarely come into contact with what people call 'normal' folks. The beautiful thing about this community is that you might feel lonely or strange in everyday life, but festivals like Elfia and Castlefest — and also smaller LARP and reenactment events — give an intense sense of coming home. Here you meet friends, relationships are formed, and you can strike up conversations with strangers in an environment where mutual respect is a given. Our poly triad, for example, has always been respected in this community.
These days I'm no longer actively involved in reenactment, but instead I'm a visitor of archaeological sites, museums, and heritage sites throughout Europe, medieval fairs in France and Belgium, and fantasy festivals in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom. This year, my newborn daughter is going for the first time to Elfia and Castlefest — a new generation. I hope that our family, and so many others with us, will continue to create beautiful memories at all the events that enrich this special community for many years to come.
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