Beltane (/ ˈbɛl.teɪn /) or Bealtaine (Irish pronunciation: [ˈbʲal̪ˠt̪ˠəʲnə], approximately / ˈb (j) ɒltɪnə / B (Y)OL-tin-ə) [5][6] is the Gaelic May Day festival, marking the beginning of summer. It is traditionally held on 1 May, or about midway between the spring equinox and summer solstice.

Apr 10, 2022 · Beltane is a pagan festival that is celebrated at the beginning of Spring, honoring the union of Mother Earth and the Greenman so that we may be blessed with hearty weather and fertile land.

Apr 8, 2025 · Beltane is a Celtic fire festival and pagan holiday that falls between the Spring Equinox (Ostara) and the Summer Solstice (Litha) on the modern Wheel of the Year. Beltane is celebrated on May 1st in the Northern Hemisphere, and it marked the beginning of summer in ancient Gaelic culture.

Beltane, festival held on the first day of May in Ireland and Scotland, celebrating the beginning of summer and open pasturing. Beltane is first mentioned in a glossary attributed to Cormac, bishop of Cashel and king of Munster, who was killed in 908.

Apr 23, 2025 · Beltane translates to “bright fire,” which is central to the festivities. It celebrates the coming summer sunshine months and the fertility of nature, including the people and livestock that ...

Mar 24, 2025 · Beltane is a traditional time for handfasting, a sacred ceremony of commitment, love, and partnership. The ritual is an ancient Celtic tradition that’s continued into modern Wiccan and pagan practices.

Apr 21, 2025 · Beltane Traditions and Rituals Sacred Fires and May Day Flames. Beltane is one of the great fire festivals of the Celtic year, and its central ritual has always been the kindling of flame. Unlike the gentle candlelight of Imbolc, Beltane’s fires are bold and blazing, lit to purify, protect, and energize.Traditionally, two large bonfires were built, and people would walk or …

Feb 3, 2020 · Are you looking for Pagan rituals for Beltane? Here's where you'll find all kinds of celebrations, prayers, and more for the Beltane sabbat.

Jun 21, 2023 · Beltane is an ancient festival primarily associated with the pastoral peoples of Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. However, there is evidence of this celebration all over Europe. Held on the first of May, Beltane symbolized the arrival of spring and the promise of summer.

For the Gaelic Celts (the people who inhabited Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man), Beltane was a fire festival celebrating the beginning of Summer. Many ancient Celts used these cross-quarter days to mark the change of the seasons, rather than the Solstices & the Equinoxes.