One of four Celtic festivals that mark the changing seasons, Beltane is celebrated on May 1^st in Scotland, Ireland, and parts of England to commemorate the start of summer. Its name comes from a Gaelic word meaning “bright fire.”

Beltane dates back to the Stone Age. Historically, Celtic herdsmen built fires that they believed to have special powers. The herdsmen would drive their livestock through the smoke from the bonfires, encouraging growth and protection for the animals. Neighbors would then take embers from the fires and use them to light the hearth in their homes because of those same mystical properties.

Beltane also has Roman and Greek roots. Both cultures celebrated the beginning of summer by honoring fire and fertility.

The Green Man, a figure from the lore of the British Isles whose face is covered in seasonal greenery, shares similarities with the Greek god Dionysus. In some parts of Great Britain, townsfolk carry an effigy of the Green Man through the streets to welcome the new season.

The biggest Beltane celebration takes place each year on Edinburgh’s Calton Hill and has thousands of attendees. The Beltane Fire Festival begins the evening of April 30th and runs into the early morning of May 1st. Fire performers, musicians, and partygoers gather at the historic location to mark the “eternal battle of the seasons.”

During the festival a symbolic wedding between the May Queen and the Green Man takes place. She makes four stops during the procession, each dedicated to one of the four elements. At midnight a giant bonfire is lit to announce the official start of summer. Some participants dress up as Reds, mischief-makers covered in red paint who represent the chaos in nature. They try to break up the wedding performance, but, by the end of the festivities, end up dancing with the Queen’s attendants.

Learn More:
Welcoming Summer With an Ancient Celtic Festival
Beltane Fire Festival