How a Celtic Fertility Ritual Evolved Into May Day

By Dan Reich

Beltane is one of four Celtic holidays that mark the mid-points of the four seasons. May 1 happens to fall halfway between the Spring Equinox (when daylight and dark are equal) and the Summer Solstice (where the sun is up for the longest). It has long been considered the time at which spring is at the top of its powers, and the early Celts of Ireland and Scotland considered it the most important day of the year. As pastoral people who depended on their herds, May 1 was traditionally the day herds were let out into their summer pastures, and Beltane rituals evolved from the desire to protect their herds and insure good harvests as well as their own good health.

Beltane centered around the concept of a bonfire imbued with magical qualities that offered protection as well as a sense of purifying. Villagers would douse their own home fires, and bonfires would be created for the purpose of leading their herds and themselves through the fires as they believed the fire had protective qualities. Couples would jump over a small fire to express their devotion to each other, as well as to At the end of the bonfire ritual, everyone would light a torch from the bonfire and return to their huts to re-light their own fires. The bonfire also gave tribute to the sun as it marched towards its zenith on the Summer Solstice.

The tradition of going “A-Maying” (indulged most often by young people in love, or at least lust) also began to take hold. Participants would stay out all night, sleeping in the woods, making love, and gathering up flowers with which to return in the morning. Often, they would collect the morning dew and wash their faces with it. Flowers were also used to make crowns and garlands to decorate themselves and their livestock. The celebration of flowers and greenery were expanded when the Romans brought with them their own peak-of-spring fertility festival, Floralia, dedicated to the goddess of flowers, Flora.

“A trip through Google and
the Festival of Beltane looks like
Burning Man with more Pan flute.”
- Matthew Gallagher, writer

The celebration of fertility evolved into the Maypole Dance, in which people danced (often naked…these weren’t your elementary-school Maypole celebrations) around a tall pole with flowers and streamers attached. The pole represented male fertility, while the flowers and streamers paid tribute to the Flower Goddess. The G-rated version of the Maypole was quite popular in England, but never quite caught on here as our Puritan ancestors discouraged anything that had a pagan origin. Little did they know how lusty the Beltane celebrations of the Middle Ages were...writer Matthew Gallagher has described Beltane this way: “A trip through Google and the Festival of Beltane looks like Burning Man with more Pan Flute.”

More recently, May Day has been marked by somewhat tamer observances, such as the creation of flowery May Baskets to decorate friends’ and relative’s houses, and the removal of footwear to celebrate the first day of the year to go barefoot. Many colleges have local rituals that involve skinny-dipping or other “let it all hang out” activities. May Day races are also held in many locations. It also was designated International Worker’s Day in 1889 to acknowledge the gains made in worker’s rights and is celebrated throughout much of the world much as we observe Labor Day here. But that has nothing to do with the origins of May Day as a celebration of spring, fertility and rebirth.

So how can you celebrate May Day today? Given its ties to fertility, the advancement of summer and nature, you may choose to go for a barefoot walk on the beach, or gather wildflowers from the countryside. Make a flower crown for yourself. Light a fire in a firepit and enjoy the balmy early evening. Feel free to enhance the experience with the CBD tablet or tincture of your choice. You could also invoke both Beltane’s fire and flower with a strain you particularly enjoy. Beltane has also been viewed as a time for optimism and renewal…it might be the perfect time to start that project you’ve been meaning to get to.

As we reach the mid-point between spring and summer and notice the changes in Nature as it renews itself, it seems appropriate to mark the occasion with a celebration of the warm and abundant times to follow.

• • •