BELTANE (May Day) May 1st

Beltane (Bright Fire) is symbolic of a return to life, of the defeat of the hard winter, with new hopes for good planting and rich harvests. Beltane is the time of milk and honey, the time of pleasure, of blossoming and blooming, of desire and satisfaction. Beltane honors the fertility of the Earth. It celebrates the height of Spring and the flowering of life. It is a time to worship the Earth, Water, Fire and Air. It represents the divine union of the May Queen and May King.

In the old Celtic times the celebrants built great bonfires on hillsides and leaped over flames. Large oatcakes, called bannocks, were eaten as part of the festivities. Traditionally a portion of the cake is burned or marked with ashes. The unfortunate soul who received the marked piece was sacrificed to the gods. More recently, the recipient simply jumped over a small fire 3 times instead. It is said that the custom of leaping over flames continued in some parts of Britain as late as the 18th century--the height of their leaps was supposed to forecast the height of crops.

In the old Celtic times, villages elected a young, attractive couple to represent the King and Queen of the May, also known as John Thomas and Lady Jane. Folks danced around the May pole, the skyward symbol of life; they gathered flowers and spent nights together under the stars in the forest.

All classes of people used to rise at dawn to go “a-maying.” They would return laden with flowers and branches of trees to decorate their homes. Women traditionally would braid flowers into their hair. Men and women alike would decorate their bodies with field flowers. A May Queen was crowned to reign over the games, dancing, and festivities. Flowers, fruits and other sweets, and a May pole with streamers were featured.

Today, celebrations include weaving a web of life around the Maypole and leaping the Beltane fire for luck. Handfastings are common at this festival.

Go to: BELTANE for a full explanation of this festival.
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