1. BF Bealtaine

Speaker: Sean McMahon RIP

Bealtaine is the Gaelic May Day festival. Most commonly it is held on the 1st May, or about halfway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice and while technically that means 05.36 on Wed morn in 2021 when the Bealtaine section was recorded, we stuck with the 1st of May for that show!

Historically, it was widely observed throughout Ireland, one of the four Gaelic cross quarter days—along with Samhain, Imbolc and Lughnasa. It marked the beginning of summer and was when cattle were driven out to the summer pastures. Rituals were performed to protect the cattle, crops and people, and to encourage growth. Special bonfires were kindled, and their flames, smoke and ashes were deemed to have protective power.

© 2021-2022 Racontour Productions. This clip forms part of the Celtic Calendar audio archive from Racontour Productions. Feel free to share if enjoyed, but with a credit or a social media tag to Racontour Productions please.
SPOTIFY: This platform has allowed us to be creative in ensuring you can access it on your smart phone with ease. Below are the Spotify options: -
Celtic Calendar playlist - no music, just audio of all four festivals.
Samhain folklore - music and lore for Samhain
Imbolc folklore - music and lore for Imbolc
Bealtaine folklore - music and lore for Bealtaine
Lughnasa folklore - music and lore for Lughnasa