Beltane opens the bright half of the year. It stands directly opposite Samhain on the Wheel, and where Samhain honors death, Beltane honors life: blossom, warmth, desire, and the green surge of early summer.
Beltane at a glance
- Northern Hemisphere
- Sunset on April 30 to May 1
- Southern Hemisphere
- Sunset on October 31 to November 1
- Pronounced
- BEL-tayn
- Also called
- May Day, May Eve
- Kind of festival
- Cross-quarter fire festival, of Gaelic origin
- Themes
- Vitality, fertility, passion, union, protection, joy
- Colors
- Green, red, white, pink, yellow
- Symbols
- Bonfires, the maypole, flowers, hawthorn blossom, ribbons
- Foods
- Oat cakes, milk and cheese, honey, strawberries, salad greens
Where Beltane comes from
Beltane is the Gaelic festival of the beginning of summer, and the name probably means bright fire. Early Irish sources describe two great bonfires being lit, with the cattle driven between them for protection before going out to their summer pastures. Later records from Ireland and Scotland add that household fires were put out and relit from the Beltane fire, that doors and barns were decorated with yellow flowers, and that a thorn bush was hung with ribbons and shells as a May bush.
The maypole and the May Queen belong to a separate tradition, the May Day customs of England and other parts of Europe, where people went out before dawn to gather blossom and bring in the May. Modern Beltane celebrations draw happily on both.
What Beltane means on the Wheel
In the Wiccan story, the Goddess and the God come together at Beltane, and their union brings the fertility of summer. It is a festival of the body and of pleasure, held as sacred. In a modern practice that is understood broadly: creativity, vitality, love in all its forms, and joy in being alive.
Like Samhain, Beltane is said to be a time when the boundary between the worlds is thin. In folklore it is the fair folk, and not the dead, who are close.
Ways to celebrate
- Light a fire. A bonfire where it is safe and legal, or a single candle. In the old custom, people walked between two fires for protection in the coming season.
- Gather flowers. Make a crown, fill the house, and leave a posy on a neighbor's doorstep. Pick lightly and never take the only bloom.
- Dress a May bush. Tie ribbons to a branch or a potted shrub, one for each wish.
- Greet the dawn. Go out early on May morning. Washing your face in the dew is an old charm for beauty and luck.
- Dance. Around a maypole if you have one, and around the kitchen if you do not.
- Eat outside. Share a picnic and pour a little of your drink onto the ground as thanks to the land.
A simple ritual
Ribbons for the summer
You will need
- A candle in a safe holder
- Three ribbons or strips of cloth made of natural fiber
- A living tree or shrub that you may use, or a branch set in a vase
What to do
- Light the candle, well clear of the branch and the ribbons, and take a moment to feel the warmth of the season.
- Hold the first ribbon and name something you want to grow this summer. Tie it loosely to the branch.
- Hold the second ribbon and name something you want to protect. Tie it on.
- Hold the third ribbon and name something you want to enjoy. Tie it on.
- Say: "By fire and flower, may it be so."
- Put the candle out safely. Remove the ribbons from a living tree at midsummer so that they do not harm it.
A note on fire and consent
Beltane's two great themes both ask for care. Keep any fire small, attended, and well away from anything that can burn, and follow local fire rules. And remember that the festival's celebration of desire is only ever for adults who freely consent. Any group that suggests otherwise should be avoided.
In the Southern Hemisphere, Beltane falls at the end of October. On May 1, Southern Hemisphere witches are keeping Samhain.