Beltane is rooted in the Celtic *belo-tanos ‘bright fire’. *Belo maybe cognate with the OE bǣl (fire / pyre) which gives us the word balefire and is found in the name Bældæg, an English name for the god Baldur. Bældæg literally means Fire-Day!

According to Brian Branston, Balderesleg and Polesleah are two names for the same place (found in Yorkshire England). Both are named for Bældæg (Baldur) whom we also called Bealdor. The name Pole is connected with Phol who appears in the Second Merseburg Charm, and is thought to be another name for Bældæg.

If we look at the etymology of OE Bældæg we see two parts – Bæl (pyre/fire) and dæg (day). Jacob Grimm found parallels in the Old German Pholtag, which again was meant to mean fire-day.

The etymology of the celtic Beltane comes from the same root as Bældæg, from the PIE *bʰel- to shine. This is why Bældæg is seen as the shining god, but also associated with the ritual pyre. Beltane is the May day holiday and these ‘fire-days’ are likely connected to driving cattle through ceremonial fires called Need Fires.

Beltane is a Celtic word which means “fires of Bel”, a Celtic deity. Like many Celtic festivals, the celebration tied in with the needs of the community. For the Celts, Beltane marked the beginning of the pastoral summer season when the herds of livestock were driven out to the summer pastures and mountain grazing lands. At this time the community would be hopeful for a fruitful year for their families and fields.

Beltane rituals would often include courting: for example, young men and women collecting blossoms in the woods and lighting fires in the evening. These rituals would often lead to matches and marriages, either immediately in the coming summer or autumn. Other festivities involved fire which was thought to cleanse, purify and increase fertility. Cattle were often passed between two bonfires on the Oidhche Bhealtaine (eve of Beltane) and the properties of the flame and the smoke were seen to ensure the fertility of the herd. These bonfires were also seen as a time of purification and transition, heralding in the planting season and the hopes of a good harvest ahead.

Even today, fire festivals are held in many places to celebrate Beltane. People leap over the fires to bring them good fortune, fertility (of mind, body and spirit) and happiness for the coming year. The largest Beltane celebrations in the UK are held in Edinburgh. Fires are lit at night and festivities carry on until dawn. All around the UK fires are lit and private celebrations are held amongst pagan worshipers and those honoring their Celtic ancestry to mark the start of the summer.

Although commonly held on May 1st, Beltane is a cross-quarter day, marking the midpoint in the Sun's progress between the spring equinox and summer solstice. Since the Celtic year was based on both lunar and solar cycles, it is possible that the holiday was celebrated on the full moon nearest the midpoint between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. The astronomical date for this midpoint is closer to May 5 or May 7, but this can vary from year to year

Like the festival of Samhain, opposite Beltane on October 31 Beltane was also a time when the Otherworld was seen as particularly close at hand.

Another common aspect of the festival which survived up until the early 20th century in Ireland was the hanging of May Boughs on the doors and windows of houses and the erection of May Bushes in farm yards. (Our Celtic Traditions- John Morgan)

Celtic May Eve Tradition,

On May Eve (30th April), people in Ireland traditionally collected bunches of yellow flowers before sunset. These were placed on the door thresholds and windowsills to protect against the Sídhe (fairies) who were said to be more active on May eve and May Day.

It would also protect against other nefarious forces such as witches who would employ different forms of sympathetic magic and spells to steal your butter profit.

They could do this by using a súgán (straw) or horse hair rope to gather the morning dew while saying spells such as "come all to me, come all to me". They could also steal it by dipping a spancel into your milk or by opening all the outhouse doors on your farm.

Another method employed was to take any item from a persons house (giving anything out of the house was forbidden before noon on May Day).

Even the smoke from your chimney could be used against you if they used the spell "Ím an detaigh sin ar mo chuid bhainne-se" (The butter of that smoke on my milk).

We have to conquer the snakes