May Day celebrations vary throughout the British Isles and Ireland but can be traced to two very different sources: the Celts and the Romans.
May Day: what does it bring to mind for you? I was brought up in rural Somerset (UK) and for me it reminds me of brightly coloured ribbons around the may pole, Morris dancing, flowers everywhere, candy floss, tombola and other fete time fun! But how did we arrive at this modern day festival? What’s the point of May Day?
Where ever you go in the British Isles and Ireland the festivities and traditions are different but there are some key similarities and they seem to originate from two main sources:
Firstly, the Celtic tribes spread across Britain and Ireland were, of course, agricultural communities reliant on Mother Nature but they also revered the trees and took many opportunities to celebrate and worship Nature. Their year revolved around the moon cycles: the Solstices, Equinox and the mid-points between them. These occasions were often full of joyful feasting, dancing and games. May Day was a fire festival and lies half way between the Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice. It marked the beginning of Summer, trees and flowers are bursting forth, it’s the best time of year to put the livestock out to pasture and it’s the most productive milk yield of the year. Beltane meant fertility, growth and the Winter finally being banished. In fact, in some locations there was a dramatic fight staged between someone dressed as Winter verses the Green Man representing Summer. Of course, Summer always wins, kicking off the lively celebrations.
Second, the influence of the Romans can still be seen, at least within England and immediately surrounding regions. The Romans brought with them a festival named Floralia, a celebration that took place between late April and May 2nd. They honoured the goddess of flowers, plants and fertility, Flora. Like the Celts the festival had agricultural origins and celebrated the fertility of the land it’s creatures. It was a time to shed the usual white clothing and don colourful dress, to gathering flowers, dance and enjoy other energetic festivities. Floralia was also celebrated with games and theatre, bringing together communities after the hardships of Winter.
While the Romans brought with them Floralia, the deeply entrenched Celtic celebrations were never to be shifted from the collective consciousness. The influences can be seen mainly in England but of course the Romans never conquered Ireland or Northern Scotland and even in areas of Wales and Cornwall their influence is weak. So May Day retains a strongly Celtic vibe across most of Britain today. In Edinburgh the Beltane Fire Festival is huge flamboyant affair and on the Welsh borders in Clun the Green Man festival is enjoyed by crowds watching the traditional and theatrical fight between Winter and Summer.