Beltane

May 1 marks the Celtic festival of Beltane, also referred to as May Day, which many neopagans and Wiccans around the world observe to celebrate the onset of summer. Here are some facts and traditions to know about the holiday.

1. Beltane is one of eight pagan holidays along with the summer solstice, Lughnasadh, the fall equinox, Samhain, the winter solstice, Imbolc and the spring equinox.

2. Beltane and Samhain, which fall exactly six months apart, are considered to be turning points in the year, much like New Year’s Day. On these days, some pagans believe the veil between the human and supernatural worlds is at its thinnest, making them potent days for magic crafting.

3. Beltane may refer to the "fires of Bel," in honor of the Celtic sun god, Belenus. Some pagans believe fire has the power to cleanse, purify and increase fertility.

4. Celebrants mark the holiday by lighting fires, dancing, feasting and performing fertility rites. 

5. Beltane is a celebration of the early summer, and in agricultural times it affirmed the fertility of the fields and the promise of a bountiful harvest.

6. Beltane celebrations commonly involve dancing around a maypole, which is a spring fertility ritual  found in many folk traditions.

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