Beltane

Meaning - "brilliant fire" or "Bel's fire" after Belanos, the Celtic Sun God.

Beltane is the last of the three spring fertility festivals, the others being Imbolc and Ostara. Beltane is the second principal Celtic festival (the other being Samhain).

It is said that the Queen of the Faeries rides out on her white horse. Roving about on Beltane eve She will try to entice people away to the Faeryland. Legend has it that if you sit beneath a tree on Beltane night, you may see the Faery Queen or hear the sound of Her horse's bells as She rides through the night. Legend says if you hide your face, She will pass you by but if you look at Her, She may choose you. There is a Scottish ballad of this called Thomas the Rhymer, in which Thomas chooses to go the Faeryland with the Queen and has not been seen since.

In ancient times, people danced around the fire to eliminate disease and misfortune from their crops that were growing, as fire has great healing powers.

Other traditional events of Beltane are dancing around the maypole, which is symbology for the union between the God and the Goddess. It is a fertility rite, she falls pregnant so she can birth at Yuletime.

In old Celtic traditions it was a time of unabashed sexuality and promiscuity where marriages of a year and a day could be undertaken but it is rarely observed in that manner in modern times.

In the old Celtic times, young people would spend the entire night in the woods "A-Maying," and then dance around the phallic Maypole the next morning. Older married couples were allowed to remove their wedding rings (and the restrictions they imply) for this one night. May morning is a magickal time for wild water (dew, flowing streams, and springs) which is collected and used to bathe in for beauty, or to drink for health.

The May pole was a focal point of the old English village rituals. Many people would rise at the first light of dawn to go outdoors and gather flowers and branches to decorate their homes. Women traditionally would braid flowers into their hair. Men and women alike would decorate their bodies. Beltane marks the return of vitality, of passion. Ancient Pagan traditions say that Beltane marks the emergence of the young God into manhood. Stirred by the energies at work in nature, he desires the Goddess. They fall in love, lie among the grasses and blossoms, and unite. The Goddess becomes pregnant of the God.

In the northern hemisphere, Beltane is known as May Day.

Beltane, also known as Walpurgis in Germany. On Walpurgis night witches would fly on their brooms up to the mountains, where they would gather and dance.

Beltane celebrations:
Decorate your hair with flowers
DTD (well it is a time of heightened fertility)
Decorate your body with paint
Sing, dance etc

One myth is that if you leap the Beltane fire with your lover, you will birth a child.

Herbs:
Lilac, Rose, Jasmine, Sandalwood, Myrrh, Damania, Basil, Patchouli, Violet.

Colours:
Emerald Orange Carnelia Sapphire Rose Quartz

Foods:
Pork, Beef, Green vegtables, Wine, Tea

Deities:
Flora, Maia, Demeter, Danu, Bel, Balor, Pan, Cernunnos, Jack-in-the-Green.

Symbols:
Ribbons, Summer Flowers, Round Breads, Apples, Cattle, Bonfires, May Pole

Enjoy your festival and frolicking :confetti:
We are heading into Samhain. Happy new year ladies

What's the correct way to wish someone a happy Beltane and/or Samhain? Id like to use the right terminology with a UK friend of mine :)

Probably something like "Blessed Samhain" (I pronounce Samhain - saween), if they're northern hemisphere.

I thought it was that but wanted to make sure :) I love learning about this, thanks for the information! :D