Beltane
Beltane is a traditional Celtic pagan festival held on May 1st - the halfway point between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice - that celebrates the coming of summer and invokes fertility for the upcoming year. Beltane means 'fires of Bel', and honours the Celtic deity, Bel, by lighting candles and bonfires. During Beltane, Pagans believe that the veil between the physical and spiritual worlds is thin, making it easier to communicate with spirits and ancestors. It is also the time to honour the abundance of the earth and celebrate the growth and renewal of nature. The month of May in Irish is Bealtaine (byowl-thin-ah) and is named after the festival.
In Celtic times, Beltane marked the beginning of summer when cattle were brought out to the summer pastures. Rituals were performed to protect the cattle, crops, and people, and to encourage growth. Bonfires were lit and the people and their cattle walked around the bonfires. Household fires were doused and then re-lit from the Beltane bonfire. Holy wells were visited, and offerings made. The first water drawn from a holy well on May Day was thought to bring good luck, while washing your face with Beltane dew was thought to bring beauty and maintain youthfulness.
The May Queen is a central figure in Beltane celebrations, representing the fertility of the earth. In many traditions, the May Queen is chosen from the young women of the community and crowned with ribbons and flowers. She is often dressed in white, symbolizing purity and new beginnings. The Green Man is a Pagan deity associated with nature, fertility, and the cycle of life, death, and rebirth. The Green Man is seen as the embodiment of the spirit of the forest and is closely tied to Beltane, which celebrates the arrival of summer and the fertility of the earth.
The presence of the May Queen and the Green Man at Beltane celebrations symbolizes the union of the earth and sky and represents the renewal of life and the promise of a bountiful harvest. Handfasting rituals sometimes occur at Beltane celebrations, where a couple declare their love and commitment to each other by having their hands tied together with ribbon or cord. Beltane gatherings were accompanied by a feast, and food and drink were offered to the Aos sídhe (the Celtic gods). Doors, windows, and livestock were decorated with white or yellow flowers.
A small tree or bush of hawthorn, rowan, holly, or sycamore is decorated with bright flowers, ribbons, and painted shells to make a May Bush. These customs are a relic of tree worship, and the intention is to invoke blessings from the tree spirit. In Victorian times, the custom of singing and dancing around the May Bush was replaced by the tradition of dancing with ribbons around a May Pole although this custom is more commonly seen in Britain and mainland Europe than in Ireland.
Many Beltane practices appeased the fairies. Black coal placed under butter churns prevented the theft of butter; branches from the May Bush tied to milk pails, and the tails of cattle hung in barns prevented the theft of milk. Cattle were brought to fairy forts and a small amount of their blood was poured on the earth to seek protection for the herd’s safety. Superstitions associated with Beltane include: to keep white horses in a barn, not to hang out clothes, or put fire ashes outdoors, and animals born on May 1st were an ill-fated omen. It was also considered bad luck to marry or give birth on the 1st of May. The hill of Uisneach (ish-nock) in County Westmeath is a traditional gathering place in Ireland for people celebrating Beltane. The “fires of Bel” are still lit annually at dusk after a torchlit procession by costume-clad participants. In 2017, the ceremonial fire was lit by the guest of honour, President Michael D. Higgins.
