Friday, May 01, 2015

Happy May Day

In Bloom


Wishing effuryone a fabulous May Day and a Bounteous Beltane!

Head boops and purrs to you all!

Beltane is the Gaelic May Day festival. Most commonly it is held on 1 May, or about halfway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice. Historically, it was widely observed throughout Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. It is one of the four Gaelic seasonal festivals—along with Samhain, Imbolc and Lughnasadh—and is similar to the Welsh Calan Mai.

Traditionally it is the time that livestock are sent to their summer grazing grounds and prayers and rituals are enacted to ensure a good harvest in the fall.

Currently, most people consider Beltane a fertility holiday, which make it appropriate for Cats, who have been used many times in many different religions as fertility symbols. (In Egypt for example, if human wished for little ones, they would make offer to Bast and ask for her to bless them with children.)

3 comments:

Mickey's Musings said...

Happy May Day and thanks for the info on Beltane!
Purrs Georgia and Julie,
Treasure and JJ

A Tonl said...

Happy May Day!

meowmeowmans said...

Happy May Day, and a bounteous Beltane to you, too! :)