In this paper we will be discussing Beltane. Beltane is the spring Sabbat that falls on the first of May every year (although some celebrate it on April 30th). While we celebrate Beltane here in the Northern Hemisphere, our friends to the south in the Southern Hemisphere are celebrating Samhain. Most people will associate Beltane as May Day due to it being on May first. But, there is definitely more to Beltane. This is the day that all the flowers are finally in bloom, the trees are green with an abundance of leaves, and animals or livestock is let out into the pastures to start grazing. Around Beltane, people start to come out of their houses to experience the Sun more and become a lot more active. Fertility is all around within everything: …show more content…
This is a time where action starts happening within your dreams, ideas, and hopes.
Some beliefs feel this is the time that the Maiden Goddess has finally reached her completion and is awaiting the Oak King in order to have an union. One tradition of Beltane is to light a bonfire. This tradition came from the Celtic people. They thought that if you lit a bonfire, you were petitioning for the help of their God Bel and the Sun to help the crops grow. They also thought it would offer protection for the town. The term “jumping the bale fire” also sorta comes from them. The belief was that if you were going to petition the God Bel then you would have to do something for him to take notice. So, the belief was born that you had to jump through the flames to get Bel's attention. Everything went through the fires that needed his blessing for the upcoming seasons. You would see livestock, animals, and even, people jumping through the fire/smoke. This is also a time that you can see a lot of people being handfasted. It's thought that if you got married on this day then it