Even though it’s officially been spring for over a month now, here in New England April still means jackets and heaters and (mostly) closed windows. But the month of May—with its blossoming of trees and flowers and its warm weather—is supremely spring. And it arrives on Beltane, known in the U.S. as May Day.
May Day has a long and varied history as a “working class holiday” that, depending on what country you’re in, might include costumed revelry, fertility dances or political protests. Beltane began as a Pagan celebration that welcomed the coming summer and celebrated fertility, both human and agricultural. Known as a fire festival to the ancient Celts, Beltane was typically marked by music, sword dancing, feasting, drinking and people leaping over huge bonfires for purposes of purification.
Prior to motherhood, I actually did celebrate Beltane with outdoor drum circles, scarf dancing and fire leaping, but when Sofie came along I decided it best to forego the fires in favor of the holiday’s more modern meaning: honoring the height of spring and the flowering of life.
When my daughter was 18 months old, this involved a sunset walk in a nearby park, blowing apart the seeds of a dandelion and drumming twigs against her stroller. Sofie hugged her first tree and laughed with delight as we frolicked across the grass, silk scarves streaming behind us. We watched the ducks enjoy a twilight swim before heading home to feast on strawberries, apples, raisins and cheddar goldfish.
Sofie celebrates May Day 2008.
In the following few years, our family participated in a local May Day celebration, complete with Maypole dancing! I had not known such a thing existed in Rhode Island. But in the drizzle, on a farm in Tiverton, we gathered with more than a hundred others among the chickens and peacocks and two baby goats born that morning.
Annual maypole dance in Tiverton, Rhode Island.
We clapped for the felling of the maypole tree, feasted with friends and watched grownups dressed as money-hungry rats perform a symbolic play in the barn. My favorite part was the the Maypole dance. Steeped in fertility symbolism, the dance was really just a fun, get-to-know-your-neighbor activity. And not a bad low-cardio workout either.
Sofie watches May Day festivities in the rain, 2009.
While Sofie clung to my leg at the start of the day, by the end she was chasing the chickens.
We don’t always celebrate May 1st with big festivities, but we do at least make a point to get outside. Being in nature is an easy way to connect with our children, our earth and inner ourselves.
Here’s a few May Day crafts and activities for you and your child:
Step-by-Step tutorial on how to make a Maypole
May Day crafts from Kaboose
May Day crafts from DLTK
May Day activities for kids
This post has been shared at Natural Living Monday, Healthy, Happy, Green and Natural Blog Hop and Thank Goodness It’s Monday.
Nice post Donna. It’s interesting as May in the Irish language is Bealtaine. You guys in the US seem to do everything over the top which is great. I wish it was the same here in the UK.