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] At the funeral of a British monarch, a wand is broken over the coffin to signifiy the end of service for the Lord Chamberlain.
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