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Beltane is an ancient Celtic holiday welcoming the
fertility of the earth. It is usually celebrated on May 1st, with the evening festivities held the night before, on April 30th. In ancient times, a giant bonfire would be created on Beltane eve, symbolizing the strength of the sun and the power of the burgeoning earth. Couples would jump over it to ensure fruitfulness for the upcoming year. Cows and other animals also would be urged to jump over the fire for the same reason. Babies and children would be tossed across the fire, from one parent to the other, to invoke the blessing of the Goddess and ensure health and well-being.
After the animals were secured and the children
tucked safely in bed, the adults would return to the fire for a night of revelry. They would dance, sing,
make music, drink, and eat, all in celebration of the lush Goddess. Men and women, by the heat of the
fire, and in the darkened night, would often pair up into couples and disappear into the fields and forests,
to make love. This act was seen as an offering to the Goddess, a symbolic rite to guarantee fertility for all.
Social mores and moral codes were relaxed on Beltane eve, allowing all men and women (even if married or in committed relationships) the freedom to choose any person present as a lover. Children conceived on Beltane eve were thought to be children of the Goddess and were called "merry-be-gots."
With the coming of Christianity, and its emphasis on
the spiritual, rather than the physical, the sexual aspects of Beltane were lost. However, the concept of celebrating nature and the fruitfulness of the earth continued. The legend of King Arthur describes a custom known as "going a-Maying," whereby May 1st is celebrated with outdoor activities, such as hunting and picnicking. Moral rules and regulations were relaxed so that Lords and Ladies could converse openly with each other. Flowers were collected and made into head wreathes and decorations. The most winsome Lord and Lady were then crowned with the bounty of nature and named the May King and May Queen. Even today flower blossoms (the sexual organs of the plants) are gathered in baskets and placed on doorsteps to welcome in Spring on the 1st
of May, otherwise known as May Day.
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