May Day and the Celtic Fire Festival of Spring Beltane are ancient traditions that celebrate the coming of the Light, new growth and seasonal beginnings. Not only did people joyfully dance around the May Pole, but couples jumped the fire as part of spring mating rituals.
Read MoreI have lovely memories of my dad and I walking through nearby woods to gather the first flowers of spring. Then my mom and I would make construction paper baskets so I could deliver May Day bouquets to neighbors and loved ones.
But we had nothing like a Beltane festival. Writing about Beltane is a bit like writing about Christmas; the holiday has so many different traditions and its celebrations have many layers of meaning. And, like Americans celebrating Memorial day, for some it has great meaning, for others, it is just a picnic in the park.
The image of a forest in Ireland, the words from an American poet, both conjuring up the magic of a walk in the forest. And what better time than spring. Longfellow said it all in the first stanza of Evangeline.
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