HAPPY MAYDAY / BLESSED BELTANE!!

Lighting the Beltane fires on the first of May was a symbolic move to recall the growing power of the sun and cleanse the community of the dark months spent indoors. Cattle were traditionally driven around these fires and the community would dance and leap over the flames.

Foods and items prepared using the ritual Beltane fires were believed to have special powers. One of the most recognizable traditions related to Beltane is the maypole, a tall pole with ribbons streaming from the top. Through spinning and dancing by celebrants, the ribbons are eventually wrapped around the pole

Amazing post, Crystal...!

In South Africa we celebrate it as "Worker's Day" after Saint Joseph (The Worker & Mary's husband). It is a public holiday. On the playground we always had a "May Pole" and few knew how to use it without causing injury.

Sending positive vibes to you on this day. Happy Mayday!

Happy Mayday!

We call it the Maypole here in UK.

Oh, how nice that you did have a Maypole!
And yes, it's an old pagan custom (Beltane), dating all the way back to the Celts.
Church took on board many Pagan celebrations, simply gave them another name and added a saint or something to it.
You can call that incredibly smart marketing, hihi.

Anyhow, Blessed Beltane & Happpy Mayday to you!!

Happy Mayday to you!

Is it still celebrated in Scotland? I think in some areas, right? With Morris dancers?
I'd SO love to see that for myself, hihi.

Morris dancing is an English folk dance so we don’t have that in Scotland.

May Day is celebrated here and it’s a national public holiday. In Edinburgh, the Beltane Fire Festival is held on the evening of May eve and into the early hours of May Day on the city's Calton Hill.

I plan on remaining skyclad the entire day.

Ah, okay.
But Beltane Fires in Edinburgh... that's great!!
And I think that in the days of old it was indeed mostly the eve before. Exactly the same with Samhain (modern day Halloween).
I always wanted to do my Beltane ritual on Beltane Eve, so April 30th but we usually had our annual Queen's day gig that evening.
So no matter how tired I was the next day, May 1st, I did my ritual then. Usually outdoors in the small village woods.

This year I'm going to have a celebration on May 7th with a group :D Ordered a bright red full circle gypsy skirt especially for that, haha.

Not sure if that was tradition, but it's different, haha.

Thank you Crystal