Bealtaine is the Irish name for May and translates to bright fire with the anglicised name being Beltane. Many believe it was an ancient pagan festival celebrated by the Celts on May Day.
The dew on Lá Bealtaine ( May Day ) was thought to bring beauty and maintain youthfulness. Washing your face with the May Day dew was believed to bring you good health into the next year and to this day many Irish people wash their faces in this dew on Lá Bealtaine! Bealtaine in Celtic times marked the beginning of summer and it was when cattle were driven out to the summer pastures. Rituals were performed to protect the cattle, crops and people, and to encourage growth. Special bonfires were kindled, and their flames, smoke and ashes were deemed to have protective powers.
The men of Ireland would hold meetings to exchange goods and valuables but also offer sacrifice to the chief god called Beil. They would light two fires in every district in Ireland in honour of Beil then drive the weaklings of each species of cattle between the fires to shield them from all disease during the year.
May is the month when Catholics worldwide traditionally focus on Mary, the Mother of Jesus. The practice dates back at least 700 years. May is seen as the beginning of new life and the start of summer, which makes this a logical time for the celebrations of Mary, who brought life into the world. This month of devotions in the church calendar is characterised by special hymns and the use of flowers, which bring nature into the church. Many people create a May altar in their homes dedicated to honouring Mary.
May is the third and last month of the season of spring. The birthstone of May, the emerald, symbolises success and love. May in the Northern Hemisphere is similar to November in the Southern Hemisphere. Some wild flowers which blossom in Ireland in May are primroses, buttercups marsh-marigolds and bluebells.
