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72-655: Prior to the opening of the East Side Railroad Tunnel in 1908, there was no direct connection between Providence Union Station and railroad lines on the eastern bank of the Seekonk River ; for instance, trains traveling between Bristol and Union Station would have utilized a less direct route along what is now the East Junction Branch and the Northeast Corridor . During the late nineteenth-century,

144-410: A bonnet and everyone would take one out while blindfolded. According to one writer, whoever got the marked piece had to leap through the fire three times. According to another, those present pretended to throw the person into the fire and, for some time afterwards, would speak of them as if they were dead. This "may embody a memory of actual human sacrifice ", or it may have always been symbolic. There

216-419: A caudle made from eggs, butter, oatmeal and milk was cooked. Some of the mixture was poured on the ground as a libation . Everyone would then take an oatmeal cake, called a bannoch Bealltainn or "Beltane bannock ", which had nine knobs on it. Each person would face the fire, break off a knob one-by-one and throw it over their shoulder, offering them to the spirits to protect their livestock (one to protect

288-487: 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. Wiccans 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

360-399: 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 ft wickerman, with a new historical or folk-inspired design each year. The 1970 recording ' Ride a White Swan ', written and performed by Marc Bolan and his band T.Rex , contains

432-531: 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, and has been revived as an annual festival in County Westmeath on the Hill of Uisneach since 2009. It culminates in a torchlit procession by participants in costume, some on horseback, and

504-407: A god named Beil . Keating wrote that two bonfires would be lit in every district of Ireland, and cattle would be driven between them to protect them from disease. There is no reference to such a gathering in the annals , but the medieval Dindsenchas (lore of places) includes a tale of a hero lighting a holy fire on Uisneach that blazed for seven years. Ronald Hutton writes that this may "preserve

576-686: A group of certain people (usually nine men), after they had removed all metal and after all other fires in the area had been doused. Nineteenth-century writers record such fires being kindled at Beltane in the Scottish Highlands, and also in Wales. Its flames were believed to guard against sickness, supernatural harm and witchcraft . In the 19th century, cattle were still driven over flames or between two fires—as described in Sanas Cormaic almost 1000 years before—in parts of Ireland and Scotland. Sometimes

648-767: A reference to the fact that the historic Union Station had 14 tracks. The space will include a large central bar, a 10,000-square-foot outdoor event space, an entertainment space, and seating for "more than 300." A tentative opening of "late summer 2024" was announced, with a variety of local food vendors including seafood, burgers, craft beers, and Italian and Mexican cuisine. 41°49′33″N 71°24′48″W  /  41.8258°N 71.4133°W  / 41.8258; -71.4133 Beltain Bealtaine (anglicised as ' Beltane ') ( / ˈ b ɛ l . t eɪ n / ; Irish pronunciation: [ˈbʲal̪ˠt̪ˠəʲnə] , approximately / ˈ b ( j ) ɒ l t ɪ n ə / B(Y)OL -tin-ə )

720-614: A relic of tree worship and wrote: "The intention of these customs is to bring home to the village, and to each house, the blessings which the tree-spirit has in its power to bestow." Emyr Estyn Evans suggests that the May Bush custom may have come to Ireland from England, because it seemed to be found in areas with strong English influence and because the Irish saw it as unlucky to damage certain thorn trees. However, "lucky" and "unlucky" trees varied by region, and it has been suggested that Beltane

792-441: A religious holiday. Neopagans in the southern hemisphere may mark the festival on 1 November. In Old Irish , the name was usually Beltaine or Belltaine . In modern Irish, the festival is usually called Lá Bealtaine ("day of Beltane"), while the month of May is Mí Bhealtaine ("month of Beltane"). In Scottish Gaelic , the festival is Latha Bealltainn . Sometimes the older Scottish Gaelic spelling Bealltuinn

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864-482: A tradition of Beltane ceremonies there", but adds "Keating or his source may simply have conflated this legend with the information in Sanas Chormaic to produce a piece of pseudo-history". Nevertheless, excavations at Uisneach in the 20th century found evidence of large fires and charred bones, and showed it to have been a place of ritual since ancient times. Evidence suggests it was "a sanctuary-site, in which fire

936-614: Is a modern celebration of summer's beginning which draws on many influences. The performance art event involves fire dances and a procession by costumed performers, led by the May Queen and the Green Man , culminating in the lighting of a bonfire. 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

1008-676: Is called Latha Bealltainn ( [l̪ˠaː ˈpjaul̪ˠt̪ɪɲ] ), and in Manx Gaelic Laa Boaltinn / Boaldyn . Beltane is one of the four main Gaelic seasonal festivals—along with Samhain , Imbolc , and Lughnasadh —and is similar to the Welsh Calan Mai . Beltane is mentioned in the earliest Irish literature and is associated with important events in Irish mythology . Also known as Cétshamhain ('first of summer'), it marked

1080-493: Is likely that such flowers were used because they evoked fire. Similar May Day customs are found across Europe. The May Bush or May Bough was popular in parts of Ireland until the late 19th century. This was a small tree or branch—typically hawthorn, rowan, holly or sycamore—decorated with bright flowers, ribbons, painted shells or eggshells from Easter Sunday, and so forth. The tree would either be decorated where it stood, or branches would be decorated and placed inside or outside

1152-629: Is located at what is now Gano Street Park near the intersection of Gano Street and Amy Street. The viaduct from the west portal to downtown was demolished in 1982-1983. A short open-air approach above beyond the portal was converted to a parking lot. It is about 500 feet north of the west portal of the East Side Trolley Tunnel . The portal is just north of Thomas Street, between North Main Street and Benefit Street. The tunnel had originally opened with full double-tracked mainline. Between 1908 and 1934,

1224-562: Is proposed to derive from a proto-Celtic * belo-te(p)niâ , meaning 'bright fire'. The element * belo- might be cognate with the English word bale (as in bale-fire ) meaning 'white', 'bright' or 'shining'. The absence of syncope (Irish sound laws rather predict a ** Beltne form) can be explained by the popular belief that Beltaine was a compound of the word for 'fire', tene . There are place names in Ireland containing

1296-554: Is the Gaelic May Day festival, marking the beginning of summer. It is traditionally held on 1 May, or about midway between the spring equinox and summer solstice . Historically, it was widely observed in Ireland , Scotland , and the Isle of Man . In Ireland, the name for the festival in both Irish and English is Bealtaine ( [l̪ˠaː ˈbʲal̪ˠt̪ˠənʲə] ). In Scottish Gaelic it

1368-560: Is the name of a stream joining the River Galey in County Limerick . Beltane was one of four Gaelic seasonal festivals: Samhain (1 November), Imbolc (1 February), Beltane (1 May), and Lughnasadh (1 August). Beltane marked the beginning of the pastoral summer season, when livestock were driven out to the summer pastures . Rituals were held at that time to protect them from harm, both natural and supernatural, and this mainly involved

1440-436: Is used. The term Latha Buidhe Bealltainn (Scottish) or Lá Buidhe Bealtaine (Irish), "the bright or yellow day of Beltane", means the first of May. In Ireland it is referred to in a common folk tale as Luan Lae Bealtaine ; the first day of the week (Monday/ Luan ) is added to highlight the first day of summer. The name is anglicised as Beltane, Beltain, Beltaine, Beltine and Beltany. Another Old Irish name for

1512-628: The Narragansett Park horse racing track during the racing season; this service ended in the late 1960s. NYNH&H successor Penn Central took control of the East-Side access line in 1969. In 1970, PC requested ICC permission to abandon the Bristol Secondary due to low freight demand. Conrail inherited the East Side Tunnel from PC in 1976, and further attempts were made to rail-bank

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1584-651: The Old Colony Railroad made attempts to run full size freight cars over at-grade trolley tracks from India Point to Union Station; however, this resulted in frequent derailments. This issue prompted the need for both a bridge span over the Seekonk River along with a mile-long tunnel under Providence's east side to allow for more direct travel for both freight and passenger service around the Providence metro area. The New York, New Haven and Hartford Railroad acquired

1656-662: The Scottish Gaelic song Am Beannachadh Bealltain ("The Beltane Blessing") in his Carmina Gadelica , which he heard from a crofter in South Uist . The first two verses were sung as follows: Beannaich, a Thrianailt fhioir nach gann, (Bless, O Threefold true and bountiful,) Mi fein, mo cheile agus mo chlann, (Myself, my spouse and my children,) Mo chlann mhaoth's am mathair chaomh 'n an ceann, (My tender children and their beloved mother at their head,) Air chlar chubhr nan raon, air airidh chaon nam beann, (On

1728-399: The "symbolic use of fire". There were also rituals to protect crops, dairy products and people, and to encourage growth. The aos sí (often referred to as spirits or fairies) were thought to be especially active at Beltane (as at Samhain), and the goal of many Beltane rituals was to appease them. Most scholars see the aos sí as remnants of the pagan gods and nature spirits. Beltane

1800-502: The Beltane bonfire. These gatherings would be accompanied by a feast, and some of the food and drink would be offered to the aos sí . Doors, windows, byres and livestock would be decorated with yellow May flowers, perhaps because they evoked fire. In parts of Ireland, people would make a May Bush: typically a thorn bush or branch decorated with flowers, ribbons, bright shells and rushlights. Holy wells were also visited, while Beltane dew

1872-600: The Benefit Street entrance and one worked west from the Gano Street entrance. The tunnel was opened for NYNH&H regional rail services on November 15, 1908. The project also included the Crook Point Bascule Bridge over the Seekonk River and a downtown Providence rail viaduct. The entire cost of the project, including the bridge, the tunnel, and the approach to Union Station, was $ 2 million. The east portal

1944-415: The May Bush, and at the end of the festivities it may be burnt in the bonfire. In some areas the May Bush or Bough has also been called the "May Pole", but it is the bush or tree described above, and not the more commonly-known European maypole . Thorn trees are traditionally seen as special trees, associated with the aos sí . Frazer believed the customs of decorating trees or poles in springtime are

2016-878: The Northern Hemisphere and 31 October – 1 November in the Southern Hemisphere, beginning and ending at sunset. 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. Celtic Reconstructionists strive to reconstruct ancient Celtic religion . Their religious practices are based on research and historical accounts, but modified to suit modern life. They avoid syncretism and eclecticism (i.e. combining practises from unrelated cultures). Celtic Reconstructionists usually celebrate Beltane when

2088-532: The Old Colony Lines in 1883; this initiated renewed interest in constructing an east-side access corridor to Union Station. The East-Side Tunnel was first envisioned in 1903 as a more direct connection between the old Union Station in the center of Providence with several other New Haven-acquired railroad lines that ran east of the Seekonk River. Construction on the tunnel started in May 1906; one crew worked east from

2160-500: The Sun and "ensure a needful supply of sunshine for men, animals, and plants", as well as to symbolically "burn up and destroy all harmful influences". Food was also cooked at the bonfire and there were rituals involving it. In the Scottish Highlands, Alexander Carmichael recorded that there was a feast featuring lamb, and that formerly this lamb was sacrificed . In 1769, Thomas Pennant wrote of Beltane bonfires in Perthshire , where

2232-571: The Union Station Brewery. The center-most building of Union Station now houses the Rhode Island Foundation , which leases space to The Public's Radio , RI Kids Count, and Women's Fund RI. A $ 23.5-million investment to develop Rhode Island's first food hall in the station was begun in 2022, by a local developer who purchased the building from The Rhode Island Foundation. The 18,000-square-foot food hall will be named Track 15 ,

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2304-444: The beginning of summer and was when cattle were driven out to the summer pastures. Rituals were performed to protect cattle, people and crops, and to encourage growth. Special bonfires were kindled, whose flames, smoke and ashes were deemed to have protective powers. The people and their cattle would walk around or between bonfires, and sometimes leap over the flames or embers. All household fires would be doused and then re-lit from

2376-458: The cattle between them. This text also mentions Belltaine in relation to the Idol God Bil from Bial in which 'a fire was kindled in his name at the beginning of summer always, and cattle were driven between the two fires'. According to 17th-century historian Geoffrey Keating , there was a great gathering at the hill of Uisneach each Beltane in medieval Ireland, where a sacrifice was made to

2448-474: The cattle would be driven around a bonfire or be made to leap over flames or embers. The people themselves did likewise for good luck and protection. On the Isle of Man, people ensured that the smoke blew over them and their cattle. When the bonfire died down, people would daub themselves with its ashes and sprinkle it over their crops and livestock. Burning torches from the bonfire would be taken home, carried around

2520-639: The custom of decorating the May Bush also survives. 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 . Since 1988, a Beltane Fire Festival has been held every year on the night of 30 April on Calton Hill in Edinburgh, Scotland. While inspired by traditional Beltane, it

2592-450: The downtown area in Providence in the early 1980s. After 1976, the short mile-long East Providence portion of the line could only be accessed via the East Junction Branch or East Providence Branch . Freight would continue to service a scrapyard at Wilkesbarre Pier until the early 2000s; by 2006, this portion had been abandoned by the P&;W. On May 1, 1993, a group of students gathered at

2664-487: The edge of Exchange Place , the structure was the largest railroad station in the United States the time of its construction. The building has also been dubbed longest building in the country at the time, though this assertion is disputed. In 1885, American Architect and Building News voted the building one of the 20 best buildings in the country. 20th century architectural historian Henry-Russell Hitchcock wrote of

2736-517: The festival has pastoral origins. The earliest mention of Beltane is in Old Irish literature from Gaelic Ireland . According to the early medieval texts Sanas Cormaic written by Cormac mac Cuilennáin and Tochmarc Emire , Belltaine 'May-day' i.e. bil-tene i.e. lucky fire was held on 1 May and marked the beginning of summer. The texts say that, to protect cattle from disease, druids would make two fires "with great incantations" and drive

2808-525: The festival was Cétshamain or Cétamain , probably meaning 'first of summer'. Ó Duinnín 's Irish dictionary (1904) gives this as Céadamhain or Céadamh in modern Irish. It survives in the Scottish Gaelic name for the month of May, An Cèitean , and matches the Welsh Cyntefin . These have all been derived from proto-Celtic * kentu-samonyos (first + summer). Beltane

2880-453: The first well water, and the herb vervain (or rowan as a substitute). The procession generally stopped at the four cardinal points of the compass, beginning in the east, and rituals were performed in each of the four directions". People made the sign of the cross with milk for good luck on Beltane, and the sign of the cross was also made on the backsides of cattle. In the 19th century, folklorist Alexander Carmichael (1832–1912), collected

2952-766: The fragrant plain, at the gay mountain sheiling,) Air chlar chubhr nan raon, air airidh chaon nam beann. (On the fragrant plain, at the gay mountain sheiling.) Gach ni na m' fhardaich, no ta 'na m' shealbh, (Everything within my dwelling or in my possession,) Gach buar is barr, gach tan is tealbh, (All kine and crops, all flocks and corn,) Bho Oidhche Shamhna chon Oidhche Bheallt, (From Hallow Eve to Beltane Eve,) Piseach maith, agus beannachd mallt, (With goodly progress and gentle blessing,) Bho mhuir, gu muir, agus bun gach allt, (From sea to sea, and every river mouth,) Bho thonn gu tonn, agus bonn gach steallt. (From wave to wave, and base of waterfall.) Holy wells were often visited at Beltane, and at

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3024-408: The horses, one to protect the sheep, and so forth) and to the predators that might harm their livestock (one to the fox, one to the eagle, and so forth). Afterwards, they would drink the caudle. According to 18th-century writers, in parts of Scotland there was another ritual involving the Beltane bannock. The cake would be cut and one of the slices marked with charcoal. The slices would then be put in

3096-492: The house (particularly above windows and doors, on the roof, and on barns). It was generally the responsibility of the oldest person of the house to decorate the May Bush, and the tree would remain up until 31 May. The tree would also be decorated with candles or rushlights . Sometimes a May Bush would be paraded through the town. In parts of southern Ireland, gold and silver hurling balls known as May Balls would be hung on these May Bushes and handed out to children or given to

3168-456: The house or boundary of the farmstead, and used to re-light the hearth. From these rituals, it is clear that the fire was seen as having protective powers . Similar rituals were part of May Day or Midsummer customs in some other parts of the British Isles and mainland Europe. Frazer believed the fire rituals are a kind of imitative or sympathetic magic . He suggests they were meant to mimic

3240-485: The latter one were renovated and the building contains offices and restaurants. The original Union Station was Providence's first, opening in 1848 to accommodate the needs of the newly thriving city. This building was designed by 21 year old Rhode Island architect, Thomas Alexander Tefft in the Lombard Romanesque style. Construction of the station was supervised by Tallman & Bucklin . Extending 720 feet along

3312-469: The lighting of a large bonfire at dusk. In 2017, the ceremonial fire was lit by the President of Ireland , Michael D Higgins . 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. In parts of Newfoundland,

3384-520: The line "Ride a white Swan like the people of the Beltane". Beltane and Beltane-based festivals are held by some 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. Other Neopagans base their celebrations on many sources, the Gaelic festival being only one of them. Neopagans usually celebrate Beltane on 30 April – 1 May in

3456-403: The local 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

3528-472: The mid 20th century, many accounts of Beltane customs were recorded by folklorists and other writers. For example John Jamieson , in his Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language (1808), describes some of the Beltane customs which persisted in the 18th and early 19th centuries in parts of Scotland, which he noted were beginning to die out. Bonfires continued to be a key part of the festival in

3600-466: The modern era. All hearth fires would be doused before the bonfire was lit, generally on a hill. Ronald Hutton writes that "To increase the potency of the holy flames, in Britain at least they were often kindled by the most primitive of all means, of friction between wood." This is known as a need-fire , or tein' èiginn in Gaelic. It was a sacred fire that could be kindled only with a wooden drill , by

3672-469: The neighbour's cow. In Ireland, cattle would be brought to ' fairy forts ', where a small amount of their blood would be collected. The owners would then pour it into the earth with prayers for the herd's safety. Sometimes the blood would be left to dry and then be burnt. To protect farm produce and encourage fertility, farmers would lead a procession around the boundaries of their farm. They would "carry with them seeds of grain, implements of husbandry,

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3744-405: The next year. Also, if the family owned a white horse, it should remain in the barn all day, and if any other horse was owned, a red rag should be tied to its tail. Any foal born on May Day was fated to kill a man, and any cow that calved on May Day would die. Any birth or marriage on May Day was generally believed to be ill-fated. On May Night a cake and a jug were left on the table, because it

3816-496: The opportunity to dismantle the "Chinese Wall" of train tracks that hemmed in Providence's central business district and moved MBTA and Amtrak service to a new, smaller Providence station about a half mile north in 1986. Union Station caught fire in April 1987 amidst $ 11 million in renovations, forcing a change of plans. Parts of the original station have now been renovated and the building contains offices and restaurants, including

3888-407: The other Gaelic festivals of Imbolc and Lughnasadh. Visitors to holy wells would pray for health while walking sunwise (moving from east to west) around the well. They would then leave offerings; typically coins or clooties (see clootie well ). The first water drawn from a well on Beltane was thought to be especially potent, and would bring good luck to the person who drew it. Beltane morning dew

3960-529: The right-of-way. The newly independent Providence and Worcester Railroad assumed operation of the line later in 1976; however, the Bristol Secondary was abandoned by the end of that year. The Crook Point Bascule bridge and the East Side Tunnel were subsequently abandoned later that year; the downtown Providence viaduct was demolished when the Northeast Corridor was re-routed to facilitate remodeling of

4032-488: The site for art and performances. There have also been sporadic calls by Providence city officials to reutilize the East Side Tunnel as a light-rail alignment; however, no project has ever been formally proposed. There are no current plans to reuse the tunnel for transit or public use. Union Station (Providence) Union Station describes two distinct, defunct train stations in Providence , Rhode Island . Parts of

4104-481: The station, "without much question it was the finest early station in the New World." As the city continued to grow, so too did the need for terminal space, ultimately resulting in the paving over of the remnants of the city's inland bay in 1890. The question of what to do with the now undersized station was spontaneously answered on February 21, 1896 when the building suffered a catastrophic fire that effectively gutted

4176-473: The structure. A much larger Union Station was opened in 1898, clad in distinctive yellow brick, which the Providence Journal heralded as "a new era of history of this city". The station was designed by the firm of Stone, Carpenter & Willson , which had also designed other Providence buildings. Though rail use was expected to grow, by the 1980s rail traffic had dropped 75 percent. City planners saw

4248-418: The tails of cattle to ensure the cattle's milk was not stolen, or three black coals might be placed under a butter churn to ensure the fairies did not steal the butter. Food was left or milk poured at the doorstep or places associated with the aos sí , such as 'fairy trees', as an offering. However, milk was never given to a neighbour on May Day because it was feared that the milk would be transferred to

4320-538: The time they had arrived the party had grown larger. Law enforcement tried to break up the party with tear gas , but the students responded by throwing rocks and bricks. Officers finally broke up the party by forming a riot line , and surrounding the students. The following day, the police claimed that they had found signs of "satanic rituals". The tunnel portals were soon blocked with corrugated steel , with small doors at either end; these doors were later welded shut. Since then, there have been sporadic attempts to re-open

4392-519: The tunnel was electrified with a 600 Volt DC overhead single-wire trolley system to accommodate electric passenger trains from Providence to Bristol, Rhode Island and Fall River, Massachusetts . All passenger services ceased in 1938. For the remainder of the tunnel's service life freight trains, along with the occasional fan trips on chartered passenger trains, utilized the East-Side Tunnel southbound. Event passenger services also ran northward to

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4464-408: The western end of the tunnel below Benefit Street to celebrate Beltain - May Day . The students started fires, wore masks and beat drums until early in the morning. Campus security tried to break up the party; the students claimed the officers had no jurisdiction in the tunnel. A fight broke out between a security officer and a student who refused to stop drumming. City police were called and by

4536-459: The winners of a hurling match. In Dublin and Belfast , May Bushes were brought into town from the countryside and decorated by the whole neighbourhood. Each neighbourhood vied for the most handsome tree and, sometimes, residents of one would try to steal the May Bush of another. This led to the May Bush being outlawed in Victorian times . In some places, it was customary to sing and dance around

4608-716: The word Bealtaine , indicating places where Beltane festivities were once held. It is often anglicised as Beltany . There are three Beltanys in County Donegal , including the Beltany stone circle , and two in County Tyrone . In County Armagh there is a place called Tamnaghvelton / Tamhnach Bhealtaine ('the Beltane field'). Lisbalting/ Lios Bealtaine ('the Beltane ringfort ') is in County Tipperary , while Glasheennabaultina/ Glaisín na Bealtaine ('the Beltane stream')

4680-671: Was a "spring time festival of optimism" during which "fertility ritual again was important, perhaps connecting with the waxing power of the sun". Beltane (the beginning of summer) and Samhain (the beginning of winter) are thought to have been the most important of the four Celtic festivals. Sir James George Frazer wrote in The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion that the times of Beltane and Samhain are of little importance to European crop-growers, but of great importance to herdsmen practising seasonal transhumance . Thus, he suggests that

4752-409: Was also thought that a man who washed his face with soap and water on Beltane will grow long whiskers on his face. It was widely believed that no one should light a fire on May Day morning until they saw smoke rising from a neighbour's house. It was also believed to be bad luck to put out ashes or clothes on May Day, and to give away coal or ashes would cause the giver difficulty in lighting fires for

4824-405: Was also thought to bring good luck and health. At dawn or before sunrise on Beltane, maidens would roll in the dew or wash their faces with it. The dew was collected in a jar, left in sunlight, then filtered. The dew was thought to increase sexual attractiveness, maintain youthfulness, protect from sun damage (particularly freckles and sunburn) and help with skin ailments for the ensuing year. It

4896-651: Was an almost identical May Day ( Calan Mai ) tradition in parts of Wales, and mock-burnings were part of spring and summer bonfire festivals in other parts of Europe. Yellow and white flowers such as primrose , rowan , hawthorn , gorse , hazel , and marsh marigold were traditionally placed at doorways and windows; this is documented in 19th century Ireland, Scotland and Mann. Sometimes loose flowers were strewn at doors and windows and sometimes they were made into bouquets , garlands or crosses and fastened to them. Cows would also be decorated with them, and they would be fastened to equipment for milking and butter making. It

4968-409: Was believed that the Irish who had died abroad would return on May Day to their ancestral homes, and it was also believed that the dead returned on May Day to visit their friends. A robin that flew into the house on Beltane was believed to portend the death of a household member. The festival persisted widely up until the 1950s, and in some places the celebration of Beltane continues today. As

5040-509: Was kept burning perpetually, or kindled at frequent intervals", where animal sacrifices were offered. Beltane is also mentioned in medieval Scottish literature. An early reference is found in the poem 'Peblis to the Play', contained in the Maitland Manuscripts of 15th- and 16th-century Scots poetry, which describes the celebration in the town of Peebles . From the late 18th century to

5112-649: Was the only time when cutting thorn trees was allowed. The practice of bedecking a May Bush with flowers, ribbons, garlands and bright shells is found among the Gaelic diaspora, most notably in Newfoundland , and in some Easter traditions on the East Coast of the United States . Many Beltane practices were designed to ward off or appease the aos sí (often referred to as the fairies) and prevent them from stealing dairy products, which were thought to be especially at risk. For example, May flowers were tied to milk pails or

5184-411: Was thought to bring beauty and maintain youthfulness. Many of these customs were part of May Day or Midsummer festivals in parts of Great Britain and Europe. Public celebrations of Beltane fell out of popularity by the 20th century, though some customs continue to be revived as local cultural events. Since the late 20th century, Celtic neopagans and Wiccans have observed a festival based on Beltane as

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