10 Captivating Insights Into Beltane, the Timeless Gaelic Fire Festival

By late April, your social media might be filled with posts from witchy or Wiccan friends celebrating Beltane. Though it may appear to be a modern trend fueled by the "witchcore" movement, Beltane's roots are ancient, predating written records. Discover 10 intriguing details about this enigmatic festival. 

1. Beltane signifies the transition from spring to summer.

Traditionally, Beltane begins at sunset on April 30 and lasts through May 1, heralding the start of summer. It’s a joyous observance of the brighter, longer days ahead.

The Ancient Gaelic Celts, who were primarily herdsmen, centered their lives around cattle, horses, and sheep. Beltane symbolized the start of a new livestock cycle. Many global “May Day” festivities on May 1 trace their origins back to Beltane.

2. Beltane is among the four traditional Gaelic seasonal festivals.

The four Ancient Gaelic seasons were marked by specific rituals. Beltane occurs on May 1; Lughnasadh, signaling the harvest festival, on August 1; Samhain, celebrating the end of the harvest, on October 31–November 1; and Imbolc on February 1, heralding the start of spring. Each festival has unique rites and traditions designed to honor natural and supernatural forces, with similar practices observed across Gaelic regions from the Outer Hebrides to Southern Ireland.

3. Beltane has its origins in Celtic Britain.

Beltane was observed throughout the Gaelic Celtic territories of the British Isles, such as Scotland, Ireland, Wales, the Isle of Man, Devon, and Cornwall. The Celts once dominated much of Europe until the Roman Empire pushed them back. The Romans invaded Britain in 43 CE, conquering most of England, but Ireland, Scotland, and Wales resisted due to their rugged terrain and fierce defenses. These regions remained under Gaelic Celtic control, and Celtic languages persist there to this day.

Beltane was an ancient Gaelic celebration with origins predating the Roman invasion of the British Isles. Although the Gaelic tribes were Celtic, Beltane cannot be broadly labeled a Celtic festival, as similar traditions are not documented elsewhere in Celtic Europe, which spanned much of central Europe before Roman domination. It is more precise to describe it as a Gaelic festival.

4. Beltane is at least 1000 years old (and likely even older).

The earliest reference to Beltane appears in the 10th-century text Cormac’s Glossary, known in Gaelic as Sanas Cormaic. Written by Cormac, an Irish Bishop King from Munster in southern Ireland, the glossary explains key Gaelic terms for Latin-speaking Romans. Cormac noted that Beltane occurs on May 1 to mark the start of summer and described druids creating two fires for livestock to pass through. 

5. Bonfires take center stage at Beltane.

Lighting large fires has always been, and remains, the core activity that connects all Beltane traditions, regardless of location. Historically, druids kindled these fires to honor the fire god Biel (or Bel), seeking his protection for livestock against natural disasters like disease and supernatural threats such as darkness and witches' curses. Herdsmen would guide their cattle or sheep between the two fires before leaping over the flames themselves.

6. Beltane traditions were steeped in superstition.

People were eager to appease the fairies, referred to in Gaelic as the aos sí, who were thought to be especially troublesome during Beltane and Samhain. According to Thomas Crofton Croker in his 1825 text, the fairies had “the ability and desire to cause all sorts of mischief without any restraint.” One of their notorious tricks was spoiling milk and dairy products. (This was before widespread pasteurization.) To pacify the aos sí, offerings of food and milk were placed on doorsteps. Additionally, the Beltane fires were believed to repel witches, who could create chaos if they came too close.

7. Beltane celebrations persisted into the 19th century.

Beltane festivities continued much later than many realize—they were observed well into the late 1800s. Historian Ronald Hutton documented accounts from Ireland and rural Scotland, where large hillside bonfires and rituals were described in diaries and local records. He uncovered evidence of these practices in Munster during the 1820s and Leinster in the 1830s (both in southern Ireland), as well as in the Scottish Hebrides around the same time. Beltane rituals were also recorded in the Isle of Man in 1837, fitting for an island that still cherishes its Celtic heritage, including the Manx language.

8. Beltane has experienced a revival.

Since the 1980s, Neo-Pagans and Wiccans have revived this ancient pre-Christian festival. They often mark the occasion with small, meaningful rituals that honor the Earth’s natural cycles. Suggested activities include designing a Beltane altar decorated with seasonal blooms, lighting a bonfire, crafting a floral crown, hosting a Beltane feast for friends and family, or constructing a Maypole with wood and ribbons.  ​​

9. Edinburgh, Scotland, is a prime location to celebrate Beltane.

Since 1988, Edinburgh has hosted the Beltane Fire Festival. While the modern event differs in form—no livestock is involved—the spirit remains true to its origins. Thousands gather on Carlton Hill to welcome summer by lighting a massive bonfire. Before the fire is ignited, attendees enjoy a spectacular fire show and procession featuring pagan figures like The Green Man and May Queen, accompanied by drummers and dancers adorned in body paint and wielding flames.

10. In the southern hemisphere, Beltane is celebrated on November 1.

In regions like Australasia and South America, where the seasons are reversed, Beltane and Samhain are celebrated on opposite dates. This adjustment reflects the importance of honoring the transition from spring to summer, rather than adhering strictly to calendar dates.