It's May Eve! Bealtaine's tomorrow!
Some fun facts~
-Bealtaine is the ritual start of summer acknowledged by Irish and other Gaelic cultures.
-Bealtaine is a fire festival, a holy celebration of the sun and the season
-Bealtaine is also called May Day and in Catholicism is the time for devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Some Irish traditions/superstitions include~
-First one to the well tomorrow morning gets good luck for the rest of the year!
-Before the sun rises, go out and wash your face with the dew. The dew on Bealtaine morning is like holy water, it'll also provide good luck and keep you from getting sunburned throughout the year!
-Don't talk to strangers or give out money on Bealtaine (this is contextually odd since the old Irish were typically very liberal with their money and social interactions). Don't borrow and don't ask to borrow anything from your neighbors.
-Bless your cows! If you bless them on Bealtaine, they'll make good butter and plenty of milk the rest of the year!
-Spiritual activity is at a high right now. Protect yourself against ill-motivated spirits with yellow flowers above your door, rowan branch outside your kitchen (or kitchen door if you have one) and juniper.
-Keep the kids busy by having them find yellow flowers and replant them around the house. They act as wards and bring good luck :)
-Fire on Bealtaine is holy. The charcoal, the smoke, the ashes, the flames, every aspect is special and are used for protection and other spells after Bealtaine.
-Don't bring hawthorn flowers into the house, they'll bring misfortune.
-A wreath of yellow flowers will bring good luck to all who pass under it.
-Dancing around a May pole and singing songs was not uncommon.
Learn more:
https://www.duchas.ie/en/tpc/cbes/5285242
https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2019/0429/1046282-fire-water-light-and-luck-bealtaine-traditions-in-ireland/
Beannachtaí Bealtaine oraibh!
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