Beltane: The Celtic celebration of the beginning of Summer

 

Beltane ~ Celebration of Fire

Beltane is traditionally celebrated the night of April 30th into May 1st. This is the midway point between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice. It was widely observed in Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man up until the early 1900s. It is currently celebrated in its neo-pagan reinvention.

Originally a Celtic pagan celebration, it is believed by some to honor the god Belenus, the god of fire. He was mainly worshiped in Gaul and Britian as is similar to the Roman god Apollo. According to some, Belenus was the husband of the Irish Celtic Danu, mother of the Tuatha de Danann.

The word Beltane come from the proto-celtic word meaning 'bright fire.' The celebration itself is centered around fire. On Beltane, the celts would move their cattle to the summer pastures. Two large bonfires were lit and the cattle were driven around the fire. 

The people would extinguish their fires in their hearths. They too would circle the fires, getting cleansed by the smoke which had the power of healing and protection. When the fires burned down, they would take embers from the bonfire home to rekindle their hearth fires. 

Beltane was also a day to visit a holy well, make offerings to the gods and pray for protection. It is likely that there was music, dancing and feasting, but there is little record of the actual events of the pagan ceremony. It is also believed that like Samhaim, Beltane is a time when the Aos Si, the fairies, are particularly active.

Today, neo-pagans celebrate Beltane. The Beltane festival in Edinburgh is one of the largest in the world, drawing crowd of 15,000 people with hundreds of performers.

Do you celebrate Beltane? What do you do? I think it sounds like a fun way to welcome Summer! 

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