Broken wand ceremony

A broken wand ceremony is a ritual performed at or shortly before the funeral of a magician,^[1] in which a wand — either the wand which the magician used in performances, or a ceremonial one — is broken, indicating that with the magician's death, the wand has lost its magic.^[2]

The first broken wand ceremony was held in 1926, after the death of Harry Houdini.^[3] The Society of American Magicians continues to hold an annual ceremony at Houdini's grave.^[4]

References[]

^ Magic Auction from Cincinnati Magazine, January 1980, page 17
^ Stone, Alex (2012). Fooling Houdini. Bond Street Books. ISBN 978-0-307-36821-8.
^ COPING; Yet Another Black Wand Has Lost Its Powers, by Anemona Hartocollis, at The New York Times, published January 22, 2005.
^ S.A.M. News: Houdini Remembered, at the Society of American Magicians (via archive.org); published 2006; retrieved July 5, 2014; "As done each year the Parent Assembly #1 performs a broken wand ceremony for Harry Houdini on the anniversary of his death based on the Jewish Calendar."

External links[]

Guidelines for a Broken Wand Ceremony at the International Brotherhood of Magicians

[1] Magic Auction from Cincinnati Magazine, January 1980, page 17

[2] Stone, Alex (2012). Fooling Houdini. Bond Street Books. ISBN 978-0-307-36821-8.

[3] COPING; Yet Another Black Wand Has Lost Its Powers, by Anemona Hartocollis, at The New York Times, published January 22, 2005.

[4] S.A.M. News: Houdini Remembered, at the Society of American Magicians (via archive.org); published 2006; retrieved July 5, 2014; "As done each year the Parent Assembly #1 performs a broken wand ceremony for Harry Houdini on the anniversary of his death based on the Jewish Calendar."

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]