April 30-May 1 is the Celtic holiday of Beltaine or Beltane (pronounced either BELL tih nuh or BELL tayn). One of the four major Celtic holidays, Beltane indicates the official end of the winter half of the year and the start of summer. As such, it was the day when herds were driven into the fields for their summer pasturing. Similar to its six-month winter counterpart, Samhain (pronounced SOW wen), Beltane is a time when the boundary between this world and the Otherworld of the Fairy Sidhe (pronounced SHEE) is permeable. To protect herds from danger, including being carried off into the Otherworld, various forms of fire, representative of the strength of the summer sun, were used. The contemporary tradition of lighting May Day bonfires is a remnant of this earlier Celtic tradition.
In case you aren't inclined to light any fires this May Day, collecting and displaying brightly colored flowers is a wonderful alternative way to celebrate the power of the sun, fertility, and summer-time. Whether you make merry by enjoying spring-time flowers, by dancing around a bonfire or the May Pole, or by meeting a lover under the Greenwood Tree, Celtic Society wishes you the best of the summer season. Blessed Beltaine!
Celtic Society's purpose is to raise awareness of the Celtic Nations (Brittany, Cornwall, Galicia, Ireland, Isle of Man, Scotland, Wales) and diaspora. It aims to share and celebrate Celtic culture with the college community. Celtic Society welcomes all students, faculty, and employees, regardless of their ethnic backgrounds.
For more information about Celtic Society or its sponsored events, please contact Celtic Society at HYPERLINK "mailto:mcccelticsociety@gmail.com"mcccelticsociety@gmail.com.
Jeffery Jones
English/Philosophy Department
05/01/2015 |