Editing Beltane (section)

==Revival==
[[File:Beltane Festival 2019 Procession of the May Queen 02.jpg|thumb|Beltane Fire Festival, Edinburgh, 2019]]
As a festival, Beltane had largely died out by the mid-20th century, although some of its customs continued and in some places it has been revived as a cultural event. In Ireland, Beltane fires were common until the mid-20th century,<ref name="Danaher" /> and has been revived as an annual festival in [[County Westmeath]] on the [[Hill of Uisneach]] since 2009.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/2021/0506/1214049-bealtaine-fire/|title=Bealtaine Fire in Co Westmeath signals 'unity and hope'|date=6 May 2021 |publisher=rte.ie|access-date=13 May 2024 |last1=Bromwell |first1=Philip }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/brainstorm/2022/0428/1046589-bealtaine-summer-ireland/|title=How Bealtaine marks the start of summer in Ireland|date=28 April 2022 |publisher=rte.ie|access-date=13 May 2024 |last1=Ward |first1=Dr Karen }}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rte.ie/news/leinster/2024/0511/1448610-bealtaine-fire-festival/|title=Return of summer to be celebrated at Bealtaine Fire Festival|date=11 May 2024 |publisher=rte.ie|access-date=13 May 2024 |last1=Conway |first1=Gail }}</ref> It culminates in a torchlit procession by participants in costume, some on horseback, and the lighting of a large bonfire at dusk.<ref>{{cite web|title=Bealtaine|url=https://uisneach.ie/bealtaine/|website=uisneach.ie|date=12 May 2021|access-date=1 May 2022}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Festival of fire reignites pagan passions|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/people/festival-of-fire-reignites-pagan-passions-1.660641 |newspaper=[[The Irish Times]]|date=4 May 2010}}</ref> In 2017, the ceremonial fire was lit by the [[President of Ireland]], [[Michael D Higgins]].<ref>{{cite news |title=President lights Hill of Uisneach fire |url=https://www.meathchronicle.ie/2017/05/08/president-lights-hill-of-uisneach-fire/ |work=[[Meath Chronicle]] |date=8 May 2017}}</ref>

The lighting of a community Beltane fire from which each hearth fire is then relit is observed today in some parts of the [[Gaelic diaspora]], though in most of these cases it is a cultural revival rather than an unbroken survival of the ancient tradition.<ref name="Danaher" /><ref name="Dames">Dames, Michael (1992) ''Mythic Ireland''. London, Thames & Hudson {{ISBN|0-500-27872-5}}. pp. 206–210</ref><ref name="McNeill">McNeill, F. Marian (1959) ''The Silver Bough'', Vol. 2. William MacLellan, Glasgow {{ISBN|0-85335-162-7}} p. 56</ref> In parts of Newfoundland, the custom of decorating the May Bush also survives.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.heritage.nf.ca/society/custom_may_bush.html |title=The May Bush in Newfoundland: Newfoundland and Labrador Heritage |publisher=Heritage.nf.ca |access-date=1 May 2014 |archive-date=27 February 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140227082523/http://www.heritage.nf.ca/society/custom_may_bush.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The town of [[Peebles]] in the [[Scottish Borders]] holds a traditional week-long Beltane Fair every year in June, when a local girl is crowned Beltane Queen on the steps of the parish church. Like other Borders festivals, it incorporates a [[Common Riding]].<ref name="tracscotland.org" /><ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.peeblesbeltanefestival.co.uk |title=Home |publisher=Peeblesbeltanefestival.co.uk |access-date=1 May 2014 |archive-date=2 May 2014 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140502013450/http://www.peeblesbeltanefestival.co.uk/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

[[File:Edinburgh Beltane Fire Festival 2012 - Red Beastie Drummers.JPG|thumb|[[Beltane Fire Festival]] dancers, 2012]]
Since 1988, a [[Beltane Fire Festival]] has been held every year on the night of 30 April on [[Calton Hill, Edinburgh|Calton Hill]] in Edinburgh, Scotland. While inspired by traditional Beltane, it is a modern celebration of summer's beginning which draws on many influences.<ref>{{cite web |title=About Beltane Fire Festival |date=11 February 2013 |url=https://beltane.org/about-beltane/ |publisher=[[Beltane Fire Society]] |access-date=1 May 2022}}</ref> The [[performance art]] event involves [[fire dance]]s and a procession by costumed performers, led by the May Queen and the [[Green Man]], culminating in the lighting of a bonfire.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last1=Melis |first1=Claudia |title=City on fire: Deterritorialisation and becoming at Edinburgh's Beltane Fire Festival |encyclopedia=Tourism, Cultural Heritage and Urban Regeneration |editor=Nicholas Wise |date=2020 |publisher=Springer |pages=113–114}}</ref>

Butser Ancient Farm, an open-air archaeology museum in Hampshire, England, has also held a Beltane festival since the 1980s. The festival mixes historical reenactment with folk influences, and features a May Queen and [[Green Man]], living history displays, reenactor battles, demonstrations of traditional crafts, performances of folk music, and Celtic storytelling. The festival ends with the burning of a 30–40&nbsp;ft wickerman, with a new historical or folk-inspired design each year. Butser Ancient Farm acknowledges that their Beltane celebrations are not an attempt to reconstruct authentic historical pagan practices.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Beltain Celtic Fire Festival |url=https://www.butserancientfarm.co.uk/beltain-celtic-fire-festival |access-date=25 November 2022 |website=Butser Ancient Farm |language=en-US}}</ref>

The 1970 recording '[[Ride a White Swan]]', written and performed by [[Marc Bolan]] and his band [[T. Rex (band)|T.Rex]], contains the line "Ride a white Swan like the people of the Beltane".<ref>Dicks, Ted & Platz, Paul; 'Marc Bolan: A Tribute'. Wise Publications,1992. ISBN 0711929955, 9780711929951, et al.</ref>

===Neopaganism===
{{See also|Wheel of the Year}}

Beltane and Beltane-based festivals are held by some [[Neopaganism|Neopagans]]. As there are many kinds of Neopaganism, their Beltane celebrations can be very different despite the shared name. Some try to emulate the historic festival as much as possible.<ref name="Gallagher">{{Cite book |last1=Gallagher |first1=Eugene V. |title=Introduction to new and alternative religions in America |last2=Ashcraft |first2=W. Michael |publisher=Greenwood Press |year=2006 |isbn=0-275-98713-2 |location=Westport, Conn. |page=178}}</ref> Other Neopagans base their celebrations on many sources, the Gaelic festival being only one of them.<ref name="Adler1">Adler, Margot (1979) ''Drawing Down the Moon: Witches, Druids, Goddess-Worshippers, and Other Pagans in America Today''. Boston, Beacon Press {{ISBN|0-8070-3237-9}}. p.&nbsp;397 – Excerpts from Manhattan Pagan Way Beltane ritual script, 1978</ref><ref name="McColman1">McColman, Carl (2003) ''Complete Idiot's Guide to Celtic Wisdom''. Alpha Press {{ISBN|0-02-864417-4}}. p. 51</ref>

Neopagans usually celebrate Beltane on 30 April – 1 May in the Northern Hemisphere and 31 October – 1 November in the Southern Hemisphere, beginning and ending at sunset.<ref name="SpiralDance" /><ref>{{Cite book |last=Nevill Drury |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rwzttsI9-NwC |title=Handbook of Contemporary Paganism |publisher=[[Brill Publishers]] |year=2009 |isbn=9789004163737 |editor-last=Pizza |editor-first=Murphy |location=[[Leiden]], Netherlands |pages=63–67 |chapter=The Modern Magical Revival: Esbats and Sabbats |editor-last2=Lewis |editor-first2=James R |access-date=7 November 2016 |archive-date=26 January 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210126083911/https://books.google.com/books?id=rwzttsI9-NwC |url-status=live }}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Hume |first=Lynne |title=Witchcraft and Paganism in Australia |publisher=Melbourne University Press |year=1997 |isbn=978-0522847826 |location=Melbourne}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Vos |first=Donna |title=Dancing Under an African Moon: Paganism and Wicca in South Africa |publisher=Zebra Press |year=2002 |isbn=978-1868726530 |location=Cape Town |pages=79–86}}</ref><ref>{{Cite book |last=Bodsworth |first=Roxanne T |title=Sunwyse: Celebrating the Sacred Wheel of the Year in Australia |publisher=Hihorse Publishing |year=2003 |isbn=978-0909223038 |location=Victoria, Australia}}</ref> Some Neopagans celebrate it at the astronomical midpoint between the spring [[equinox]] and [[summer solstice]] (or the full moon nearest this point). In the Northern Hemisphere, this midpoint is when the ecliptic longitude of the Sun reaches 45 degrees.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.archaeoastronomy.com/seasons.html |title=Equinoxes, Solstice, Cross Quarters shown as seasonal cusps, worshipped by pagans and later religious holidays |publisher=Archaeoastronomy.com |access-date=5 March 2013 |archive-date=23 January 2013 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130123062729/http://www.archaeoastronomy.com/seasons.html |url-status=usurped }}</ref>

====Celtic Reconstructionist====
[[Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism|Celtic Reconstructionists]] strive to reconstruct [[ancient Celtic religion]]. Their religious practices are based on research and historical accounts,<ref name="Gallagher" /><ref name="McColman2">McColman (2003) pp.&nbsp;12, 51</ref> but modified to suit modern life. They avoid [[syncretism]] and eclecticism (i.e. combining practises from unrelated cultures).<ref name="CRFAQ1">NicDhàna, Kathryn et al. (2007) ''The CR FAQ: An Introduction to Celtic Reconstructionist Paganism''. River House Publishing. {{ISBN|978-0-615-15800-6}} pp. 53–56, 64, 130–131</ref>

Celtic Reconstructionists usually celebrate Beltane when the local [[Common Hawthorn|hawthorn]] trees are in bloom. Many observe the traditional bonfire rites, to whatever extent this is feasible where they live. This may involve passing themselves and their pets or livestock between two bonfires, and bringing home a candle lit from the bonfire. If they are unable to make a bonfire or attend a bonfire ceremony, candles may be used instead. They may decorate their homes with a May Bush, branches from blooming thorn trees, or equal-armed rowan crosses. Holy wells may be visited and offerings made to the spirits or deities of the wells. Traditional festival foods may also be prepared.<ref name="CRFAQ2">NicDhàna (2007) pp. 100–103</ref><ref name="Healy">Healy, Elizabeth (2001) ''In Search of Ireland's Holy Wells''. Dublin, Wolfhound Press {{ISBN|0-86327-865-5}} p.&nbsp;27</ref>

====Wicca====
[[Wicca]]ns use the name ''Beltane'' or ''Beltain'' for their May Day celebrations. It is one of the yearly Sabbats of their [[Wheel of the Year]], following [[Ostara]] and preceding [[Midsummer]]. Unlike Celtic Reconstructionism, Wicca is syncretic and melds practices from many different cultures. In general, the Wiccan Beltane is more akin to the Germanic/English May Day festival, both in its significance (focusing on fertility) and its rituals (such as [[maypole]] dancing). Some Wiccans enact a ritual union of the [[Horned God|May Lord]] and [[Triple Goddess (Neopaganism)|May Lady]].<ref name="SpiralDance">[[Starhawk]] (1979, 1989) ''[[The Spiral Dance|The Spiral Dance: A Rebirth of the Ancient Religion of the Great Goddess]]''. New York, Harper and Row {{ISBN|0-06-250814-8}} pp. 181 196 (revised edition)</ref>