A broken wand ceremony is a ritual performed at or shortly before the funeral of a magician,Magic Auction from Cincinnati Magazine, January 1980, p. 17 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.
The first broken wand ceremony was held in 1926, after the death of Harry Houdini."Coping; Yet Another Black Wand Has Lost Its Powers", by Anemona Hartocollis, at The New York Times, January 22, 2005. The Society of American Magicians continues to hold an annual ceremony at Houdini's grave.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."
British monarchy At the funeral of a British monarch, a wand is broken over the coffin to signify the end of service for the Lord Chamberlain.
References
External links Guidelines for a Broken Wand Ceremony at the International Brotherhood of Magicians