Latha Buidhe Bealtuinn ('the yellow day of Bealtain') is today, the first of May. This term Lá(th) Buidhe Bealtaine is also used in Irish and is translated as "Bright May Day".
Bealtaine (beltain <- Anglicised) is the Celtic name for the month of may, and commonly refers to the festival Lá Bealtaine (in Scotland) which was usually celebrated on the 15th of May while in Ireland Sean Bhealtain / "Old May" began about the night of the 11th of May. The lighting of bonfires on Oidhche Bhealtaine ("the eve of Bealtaine") on mountains and hills of ritual and political significance was one of the main activities of the festival. These apparently signified purification and transition.
The festival signifes the beginning of Summer, which means it feels a little odd celebrating it here in the Southern Hemisphere as it is moving into Winter...Nevermind, I am a purist, so I will surely be lighting a candle.
Take ye a care on Bealtane though, as the Otherworld be closer than any day other than Samhain (Halloween). Should ye feel a shiver down yer spine, take no heed for 'tis just ye lost kinsmen playin' the games of th' shade.
On the 29th of April, the Beltane Fire Festival is celebrated in Edinburgh, Scotland, where various acts of fire, fun, and mystical significance are performed. I would like to go one day; it seems like one of those experiences that would be great to be a part of, especially if you have Celtic ancestry.
Just for your info, this is celebrated as Walpurgis night in germanic tradition, and under many other names and through many different kinds of festivals and associated revelry throughout Europe. Beltane itself is purely a Gaelic Celt tradition.
So drink, dance, light a big fire and be merry. As Goldberry said in Lord of the Rings, "Heed no nightly noises! For nothing passes door and window here save moonlight and starlight and the wind off the hill-top. Good night!"
and good day!
2 comments:
Great Picture
Yep, it's the Green Man from Celtic folklore.
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