Beltane (Lá Bealtaine)

The first of May is fast approaching, what (if any) plans do you have for it? Traditionally (Gaelic) this is the beginning of the summer half of the year (ending at Oiche Samhna), which also coincided with the ending of the season of tale telling.

Traditional activities involve the passing of livestock (and more contemporarily, people and their pets) between two bonfires (torches, candles) as a consecrational and protectionary rite, usually at dawn on the 1st. Also customary, this was the only time in which the hearth fire would be allowed to go out, and the hearth totally swept out. The fire would be taken from a more central festival fire and used to reignite the hearth fire for the year. The fires are regarded as having luck, however this is also the only day in which the custom of hospitality is to be refused, as the fear that anything given out of the home would take the luck with it.

This is often considered the only day of the year on which the Hawthorn (or other thorn trees) could be cut and collected for use on the altar.

As this period is also the mirror of Oiche Samhna, it is another period of overt liminality, and the veil between the other world and this becomes considerably thinner.

The visiation and blessing of holy wells was also a common custom.

Does your tradition/path have any specific activities, rites, blessings, for use on this day?

We celebrate May Eve but I don't have any plans for it this year. One of my daughters is getting married very soon and that has sort of taken all my energy.

Instead I'd like to share a little bit of cultural America that is long gone. When I was a little girl in the South, May Day was a big deal in my community, at least it seemed like it was to me. I remember dressing up and holding a ribbon as we children danced in and out around a May Pole. There was quite a party that day.

We also cut flowers in the morning and left them in decorated baskets on the front mat for our neighbors. We would ring the doorbell and run and hide. My children did this when they were growing up but I never knew of any other families that did and I haven't seen a May Pole in many many years.

I don't think I've ever seen a May Pole in my life.

That's a shame.

Mostly I go to work, and on the weekend I mow....

I like the leaving flowers for the neighbors idea gilly, though I'd have to be careful which ones I do that to, might end up getting shot at....

Oh! That does give me an idea though (flowers, not getting shot at).
I can start giving a bouquet of flowers to my wife and daughter for Beltane..... that'll be a neat tradition to start...

Thanks for the idea!

You've never seen a Maypole?

I found this picture that was like what I remember.

And here is one from 1963. It was done at schools too.

We did them in school when I was in elementary.

It was a lot of fun, even better if the Moms brought in cupcakes and lemonade.

I guess I should've been more specific.

I've never seen one in real life that I can remember.

I've seen pictures of them and in movies....

Like I said, I did them in elementary school.

The encroachment of Paganism in our public schools... 30 years ago...

It was part of some kind of folklore lesson.

Well the maypole is a folk custom in England (which was later imported to Scotland and Ireland)

I was 6. I don't remember what point they were trying to make.

It was just the May Day Festival. When she was young one of my aunts was May Queen at her college. I think in the South we take any excuse to have a party.

Gorm_Sionnach wrote:Traditional activities involve the passing of livestock (and more contemporarily, people and their pets) between two bonfires (torches, candles) as a consecrational and protectionary rite, usually at dawn on the 1st. Also customary, this was the only time in which the hearth fire would be allowed to go out, and the hearth totally swept out. The fire would be taken from a more central festival fire and used to reignite the hearth fire for the year. The fires are regarded as having luck...,

I usually do a big bonfire (which you leap over - sometimes through - keep a hose handy ). Sacrifices are made. The boundaries of my home and property are walked with an eye toward warding off the things we don't want and inviting in the things we do. All fires (along with the ol' electric lights in the house are extinguished until a bit of the fire from outside is brought inside). Once the inside fires are "relit" all the cooking can begin and you spend the rest of the day eating/socializing/storytelling.

Of course this year the weather folks are predicting buckets of rain so I'm not sure how much of that is really going to happen (which sucks cause I scheduled three days off of work for it) - ugh!

Oh Drom it sounds wonderful, I hope you get the opportunity this year.

My brother has a whole May Day weekend celebration. It culminates with a May pole being erected. I have yet to be able to get up there to see it, but I do go the weekend after with a group of friends. All the women are always reminded not to touch the May pole unless we want to get pregnant! LOL Someday, maybe I'll get to go up for both weekends....time will tell!

Hey, I only now realized that the CR pop on YS has doubled!

wiigii!

Hello everyone,

A blessed Beltane to all

I'm going to do something different today. Since I'm by myself for today, I'm going to go to a park i found and sit quietly and take in the energies, watch nature, and commune with the Goddess and God.
Money is tight and my energy is really low as I've been sick for several months. I found this park yesterday and it's in a quiet place and best of all, not a lot of visitors on the weekdays.

However you honor the Gods in ritual today, May you all be blessed.

There is a Pagan/New Age/ whatever else you're looking for, store in my area. they always erect a May Pole in their store. It's fun as there's always a group of people dancing around it periodically through out the day.

Thought I'd bump this one up to see what the plans are for everyone's May-Day/Beltane!

I have my girl in Spiral Scouts and this year we're working on our Beltane badge. I've got to confess that I'm totally excited as I've always wanted to build / be involved with a Maypole dance yet have never had the opportunity. Now I do! To experience this holiday, we're going to bake some Fairy Kisses and make some whipped strawberry creme to dip them in. Then we'll make a few flower wreaths and welcome the dawn with a maypole dance... or some chaotic version of it.

We'll be taking our Maypole to the next Spiral Scout circle (with this in mind, I think I'll need to make a 'hand-held' version ... perhaps using one of my hiking sticks.)

As part of the badge, we're also reading about May-time holidays from other cultures. And since we're also entering the 'milk moon' .. watching Heidi seems to be appropriate.

So any plans this year?

Thanks for the recipes, Sak! No plans as of yet, but I am a fly by the seat of my pants type.

I really, really wanted to go to my friend's place for his annual May Day celebration complete with a May Pole....whole pagan celebration that lasts the entire weekend....would have been my first time....BUT I have to do something really important at church. Go ahead, scratch your head....I'm quite complex sometimes!!! ROFL

LOL, yes you are Beribee, but we love you that way

I'm planning on doing much the same as I did last year, ritually anyway. Since I have weekends off now (having recently switched jobs) I can actually plan something more elaborate (even though it will involve me getting up before dawn on a Saturday T_T), and I'lll likely cook a good meal as well.

Should be a good day!