Pagan May Day Festival: Beltane
Celtic and Wiccan Fire Festival Celebrating Spring Glory
This Greater Sabbat, sometimes mistakenly called Roodmas, a non-Pagan holiday, features flowers, the Maypole and its own special foods. Celebrate and enjoy the recipes.
Beltane, also called May Eve, begins on April 30th, according to some Pagan traditions, while others celebrate only on May 1st. It is a day of celebration, dancing around the Maypole and feasting. In Germany, this day is celebrated as Walpurgisnacht. Catholics commemorate the day as Roodmas. “Rood” is Middle English for cross. This is the feast day for finding the cross Jesus was crucified on.
May Day celebrations were banned during the reign of the Puritans in England. They were revived when the Puritans lost power, but in a different way. It became a day of joy and making merry for children. Today, many elementary schools still have May Day celebrations, some featuring dancing around the Maypole.
The Celebration
The altar cloth and candles are dark green. Adorning the altar are a crown made of daisies, a potted azalea bush with beaded strings representing the Maypole, hydrangeas, gardenias, lilies-of-the-valley and garlands of carnations.
Take a walk through nature and enjoy spring in full beauty. Make May Baskets filled with flowers and give them to friends, people in nursing homes or other facilities, shut-ins and loved ones.
Dance and sing in celebration of the day. Place a lit candle on the floor and jump over it for good fortune. Bless your garden and houseplants.
The Feast
Traditional foods are dairy, barley, oatmeal and the May Bowl punch.
- Bacon and Cheese Bites: Fry 6 chopped slices bacon and 1 diced medium onion together until bacon is done and onion is glossy. Drain. Beat 3 eggs. Stir in ¾ c baking mix, 2 c shredded Swiss cheese and 2 ½ crumbled dried parsley. Spoon into 2 greased mini muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees for about 10 to 15 minutes or until tops are slightly browned. Cool and remove from tins
- Chicken Barley Casserole: Brown 1 c pearl barley in ¼ c margarine over medium heat for approximately 2 to 3 minutes. Add 1 medium chopped onion and sauté until onion is soft. Add 2 4 oz cans drained sliced mushrooms, 2 c diced cooked chicken and 2 c chicken broth. Simmer for 5 minutes. Put in greased casserole and cover. Bake at 350 degrees for about an hour.
- Bleu Cheese and Sour Cream Salad Dressing: Blend well 4 oz crumbled bleu cheese, ½ c sour cream, 1 c salad dressing and 2 minced garlic cloves in food processor. Thin with milk if desired.
- Oatmeal-Almond Pudding: Slightly beat 2 eggs and add 2 c milk, ¼ c honey, ½ c slivered almonds and ¼ tsp almond extract. Blend well. Add mixture to 2 c cold prepared oatmeal, blending well. Pour into greased pan. Place pan in larger pan with shallow water. Bake at 325 degrees until set and lightly browned. Cool.
- May Bowl Punch: Mix together 1 12 oz can each lemonade, limeade, orange juice, 3 12 oz cans water, 2 liter bottle club or lemon soda and 1 bottle Catawba or other sweet pink or red wine. If desire, garnish with strawberries. For non-alcoholic punch, substitute 20 oz bottle desired soda.
- Strawberry May Bowl Punch: Thaw and purée 2 10 oz packages frozen strawberries. Mix with 1 ½ c lemonade. Keep chilled until serving time. Add 5 750 ml bottles of chilled Asti Spumonti or other sparkling white wine. Garnish with mint sprig and/or strawberries.
Related articles:
Beltane: Pagan Spring Celebration
German Pagan Roots: May Day Trads
Sources:
Buckland's Complete Book of Witchcraft, Raymond Buckland, (Llewellyn Publications, 1990)
The Celtic Druid's Year, John King, (Blandford, 1995)
Wicca: A Guide for the Solitary Practitioner, ScottCunningham, (Llewellyn Publications, 1992)
