Ah! my heart is weary waiting,
Waiting for the May: Waiting for the pleasant rambles
Where the fragrant hawthorn brambles,
Where the woodbine alternating,
Scent the dewy way;
Ah! my heart is weary, waiting, Waiting for the May.
-Denis Florence McCarthy
May 1 marks the Gaelic celebration known as Beltane. It’s one of four seasonal festivals. The others are Samhain, Imbolc and Lughnasadh. Beltane marks the summer season. Livestock would be driven out to pasture, and farmers would hold rituals to protect their animals and crops from harm. The fertility rituals of spring were also important during this time.
If you’ve ever watched the musical “Camelot,” you might remember the song “Lusty Month of May.”
“It’s May, It’s May, that gorgeous holiday
When every maiden prays that her lad will be a cad
It’s mad, it’s gay, alive, a lust display”
Guenevere sings about the birds and bees and the amorous needs of the human race as the courtiers dance around the Maypole. These customs probably were from Beltane celebrations.
In Europe, yellow flowers, which symbolize fire, would be placed outside each house. Loose flowers might be fastened to the cows or butter-making equipment as part of the rituals. May bushes were decorated, sometimes by the entire community. Because people vied for the most beautiful tree and might try to steal the May bush of another, these customs were outlawed in the 1800s. The May bush was considered to have blessings and power.
Dairy products were considered to be at risk from the harmful spirits of Beltane. Farmers might hold a parade, or a procession, around their property and hold rituals at the well and at each of the directions on the field. Food and milk might be left out as a peace offering for the spirits. Maiden women would collect the dew of the morning to use to maintain their youthfulness and increase sexual attraction.
Celebrating Beltane Today
Although Beltane died out in the mid-20th century, it is still considered a cultural event for many groups. Scotland holds a Beltane Fire Festival each year, incorporating the myths, traditions and drama from a variety of cultures into the celebration. Pagans and Wiccans take aspects of Beltane to celebrate the rites of spring.
Fire is probably the most symbolic aspect of Beltane. Fire represents purification and community bonding. Families typically gather around bonfires and dance, tell stories and enjoy each other’s company. Jumping over a small fire is thought to bring good fortune. Make a big fire one evening this year if you can to remember the joy in being outside among the stars with your loved ones.
Set up a Maypole at your house. Tie a big yellow ribbon on a tree as a sign of winter being over. It doesn’t have to represent sexuality but instead time to be back into the world. The Maypole might have become associated with dating because young people had more time in the spring to see each other after the long winter kept them at home.
May Day celebrations often have a king and queen appointed over the festival. Traditionally, the royalty might have served as the master of ceremony or like a beauty pageant winner of today. Beltane is also time for planting and preparing greens. Giving baskets of flowers to shut-ins and the elderly is a nice way to celebrate spring and bless someone else.
Beltane is a Celtic holiday in its origins. Enjoy Scottish or Irish treats, such as scones, oat and barley cakes, rose-flavored cupcakes or other foods with aphrodisiac properties. Cook up a pot of spring vegetables and enjoy fresh herbs that are starting to grow again. Appreciate spring and summer this year in a new way by enjoying May Day celebrations.