Wheel of the Year
May Day (Beltane)
May Day or Beltane is celebrated on 1st May and celebrates the beginning of summer.
May Day falls halfway between the Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice.
Beltane is an Iron Age Celtic or Gaelic word meaning ‘Bel’s fire’ which translates to ‘bright fire’. The term Beltane was first mentioned in 908 AD.
Historically, villagers would light two bonfires as a symbolic way to celebrate the return of the sun to the Northern Hemisphere. Cattle were driven between the two bonfires as this would cause the ticks and fleas to either jump off the cattle or be burned, thus protecting the livestock from disease before being moved into their summer pastures.
People would also leap over the fires to purify themselves and couples would jump over the fire together as an act of union/marriage.
Maypole
In modern times (particularly in the UK and in Europe) it is common to see villages erect a maypole and elect a May Queen for the day
The maypole is placed in the middle of a field with ribbons hanging down from it. Young girls hold the ribbons and weave around the maypole in a special dance. Girls and women also wear flowers in their hair.
Morris Dancers dance traditional dances and villagers light a bonfire.
Morris Dancer
At Beltane, we plant seeds and express our gratitude to the fertility of Mother Earth – the planet on which we live and depend.
How can we honour Mother Earth:
- Decorate our homes with fresh flowers.
- Light candles.
- Light a bonfire at night and watch the flames dance.
- Prepare a May basket, by collecting flowers and food and give it to friends.
- Dance (like no one’s watching). Dancing is an expression of feeling free.
Lee-Anne
