The symbolic casting off of darkness and letting in of the light at the start of May finds its origins in the ancient ritual of Beltane – a festival that has been celebrated for thousands of years. As far back as the Iron Age, Celts came together to celebrate Summer’s return. As with the other festivals in the Wheel of the Year, they marked the farming calendar and its rituals, and at this time livestock would have been put out to pasture to graze, the countryside being sufficiently warm and verdant.
Beltane Traditions for Today
Beltane Traditions for Today
Beltane Traditions for Today
The symbolic casting off of darkness and letting in of the light at the start of May finds its origins in the ancient ritual of Beltane – a festival that has been celebrated for thousands of years. As far back as the Iron Age, Celts came together to celebrate Summer’s return. As with the other festivals in the Wheel of the Year, they marked the farming calendar and its rituals, and at this time livestock would have been put out to pasture to graze, the countryside being sufficiently warm and verdant.