About Beltane
Beltane happens every year around May 1 in the Northern Hemisphere and November 1 in the Southern Hemisphere.
It’s the midpoint between the Vernal Equinox celebration of Ostara (the official beginning of spring) and the Summer Solstice celebration of Litha (the longest day and shortest night of the year).
You might also be familiar with Beltane’s other name—May Day.
Celebrating spring with dancing and wrapping ribbons around the May Pole.
Beltane was celebrated by pagans in the British Isles, and marked the midpoint of spring when life was emerging, days were getting longer and warmer, and the time for growing and cultivating crops would soon come.
Livestock were taken out to pasture during this time.
Celebration of Spring
Beltane is unique because it’s a celebration of spring officially arriving and the days are about to get warmer and longer.
Crops and gardens are growing, animals are grazing in their pastures, and life is emerging after the harsh winter.
Protection
Because animals were taken out to pasture during this time, and people were spending more time outdoors, one common theme of Beltane is protecting people and animals.
In some traditions, a large bonfire would be made and people would walk their animals around the smoke offering protection.
People would jump over the fire for various reasons; including to get protection for themselves.
During this time it’s believed that the veil between the living and the dead is thin, so it’s a good time to communicate with spirits.
This includes nature spirits, such as fairies, which are a mixed bag when it comes to good or ill intentions.
The original festival of Beltane was about blessing and protecting the cattle as they were moved up to the summer pastures.
The cattle were made to walk through two protective fires that would bless the cattle and protect them from the feared aos si (fairies).
Cows were also made to leap over lighted straw or wood to prevent their milk from being stolen by the fairies whilst rowan branches were hung over milking equipment for the same effect.
Rowan branches were also hung over doorways, cows and the hearth.
Not only this, the fire was used to bring luck as well as protection.
The fire was thought to bring good fortune and bless those who jumped over it and as such, it was a common custom at Beltane for the embers of the fires to be sprinkled around the sprouting crops in order to protect them and ensure a good yield for harvest time.
As a side note, why do those in distress call out “May Day?”
The Mayday call originated in the 1920s. ... As much of the traffic at Croydon airport at that time was to and from Le Bourget Airport in Paris, Mockford proposed the expression “Mayday" derived from the French word “m'aider" that means “help me" and is a shortened form of “venez m'aider", which means “come and help me".
