The holiday is
considered one of four great fire festivals and was the halfway point between
Spring Equinox and Midsummer Eve. It was
a time of joy, as the crops had been planted and you could see the coming
harvest. This is a time of fertility, of
the ripening of the earth.
May was considered
the month of the Auld Gods, so no marriages took place. However, there was a big rush as June came to
marry, a custom we still honor to this day little understanding why.
The name Beltaine literally means Bel's fire. All hearth fires and lights are extinguished
at dark of Beltaine Eve, and will be relit from the sacred bonfires to see
blessings to the domain.
