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BELTANE

Beltane or May Day is also know as the lover’s holiday, is one of the four Celtic Fire Festivals. While Smhain marked the beginning of the dark half of the year, Beltane comes exactly opposite it and marks the end of the dark time.

Beltane is pronounced bel-tene, meaning "a goodly fire" or bel-dine, the offering of cattle to the god Bel. The most important part of Beltane was the kindling of the fires. The Irish Celts would extinguish their fires the night before and would eat a cold meal to insure that all fires were out. Then they would attend the ceremony, returning with an ember to once more start their fires. The fire festival later evolved into the Celts driving their cattle through two fires to purify the herd. This was done to insure good health of the cattle for the coming year.

Other May Day Beliefs and Customs
A child born on May Day had the gift of being able to see the fairies, but almost certainly would die young; an animal born on May Day was sure to be a weakling. Marriage in May was considered most unlucky. On the hand May Eve was one of the nights when marriage divination might be successful. The girl who looked at the refection of the young May Moon in her mirror or in a well might see her future husband looking over her shoulder.

Advise to Maidens
On May morning, before sunrise, go out to the garden, and the first snail you see take up and put it on a plate sprinkled lightly with flour, place a cabbage-leaf over and leave it till after sunrise, then you will find the initial letters of your lover’s name traced on the flour. Should the snail be quite within his house when you take him up, your lover will be rich; but should the snail be almost out of his shell then your future husband will be poor and probably will have no house or home to take you to when you wed him. Therefore take heed of the warning given to you by the snail, or avoid trying your future fate if you are afraid of the result!

Sources
The Ancient Celtic Festivals by Clare Walker Leslie & Frank E. Gerace
The Year in Ireland-Irish Calendar Customs by Kevin Danaher


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