Beltane/May Day-How do you celebrate?

Subject: RE: Beltane/May Day-How do you celebrate?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 08 May 03 - 02:57 PM

Today (8th) was Helston Flurry day, so the festivities continue, and next week sees Abbotsbury Garland Day - is there no end to the fun?

LTS

Subject: RE: Beltane/May Day-How do you celebrate?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 15 May 03 - 06:31 PM

Today was Abbotsbury Garland day. The children of the village would prepare a bouquet of flowers, parade it round the village and collect money. The flowers were originally thrown into the sea with a blessing... in more recent years (the last 50) they've put it on the war memorial, a fitting tribute, because of the 16 names on the memorial, at least 4 were related to each other and they lost their lives in the Battle of Jutland, 31/05-01/06 1916.

Abbotsbury is a small village on the south west coast of Dorset, at the end of the Chesil Bank. It's famous for its swannery (nesting time now, lots of tiny cygnets), a hill top chapel, thatched houses and partially ruined Tythe barn.

LTS

Subject: RE: Beltane/May Day-How do you celebrate?
From:
Date: 04 Apr 06 - 02:12 PM

Merry Meet

I am celebrating for the first time and would be grateful for info on where I can go to celebrate in central florida ( if any happen to know) the closer to Pinellas county the better.

Blessed Be

Subject: RE: Beltane/May Day-How do you celebrate?
From: Maryrrf
Date: 04 Apr 06 - 03:19 PM

Oh this thread makes me wish I were in the UK. I'd either be at Glastonbury, where I celebrated Beltane in 2001, or the Girvan Festival in Scotland which usually runs that weekend.

Subject: RE: Beltane/May Day-How do you celebrate?
From: mack/misophist
Date: 04 Apr 06 - 03:31 PM

I celebrate it the same way I celebrate Easter and Xmas. I usually miss the date altogether.

Subject: RE: Beltane/May Day-How do you celebrate?
From: Cats at Work
Date: 05 Apr 06 - 07:28 AM

I can't be anywhere else on May Day except Padstow in Cornwall. First the night singing, then the 'Oss.

'Oss 'Oss

Subject: RE: Beltane/May Day-How do you celebrate?
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 30 Apr 07 - 11:29 PM

Happy May Day! Enjoy this Rare Aulde Threade!

Subject: RE: Beltane/May Day-How do you celebrate?
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 May 07 - 12:45 AM

Yew, too, my LeeJ!

Subject: RE: Beltane/May Day-How do you celebrate?
From: Cats
Date: 01 May 07 - 01:48 AM

At just after 5am we had an amazing thunderstorm. About 5 minutes before dawn it stopped and the skies cleared. Then... the most intense pink I have seen for many years right across the sky turning to a ball of liquid gold. Bright Blessings on this Beltane. It has to be a special one with a start like that!

Subject: RE: Beltane/May Day-How do you celebrate?
From: Sorcha
Date: 01 May 07 - 02:29 AM

Right this moment, at 27 mins after Beltane here, playing in the chat room and minding a broken husband. Katlaugh, see your PM's?

Subject: RE: Beltane/May Day-How do you celebrate?
From: Sailargh
Date: 01 May 07 - 02:59 AM

Wow. As a sailor, navigator, radio guy and former flight service specialist I know all about standard time, time zones and such. However it's much neater to read this and realise that while you've acknowledged May Day already there's still a quarter of an hour 'til our day turns and I'll be getting under five hours kip before rising to put the coffee on.

More will be following us I guess, not many but the possibility for a few, the folks down under having been ahead of you.

In Victoria, B.C. we have three Morris sides which have as our happy responsibility a gathering down at Clover Point. We erect a non-ribboned May pole and dance the sun up. Ah! Just remembered we've entered the 21st century (CE) and it's now all on-line:
http://rgoldman.org/morris/mayday.htm#Victoria
Thanks Ric, I think.

Okay, kit's laid out - check (that's a first!)
Coffee's ground - check (sigh, in the interest of ensuring I have any at that hour)
Breakfast contribution is ready - check (Rice Krispy Sq. - don't laugh, been years since I made em. Can you say 'batch-o-lure'?)
'Stuff' for the coffee too - check (I'm not driving, the musos are)
Alarm is set - check

G'night, see you in May.
Bright Blessings

John

'JD' Erskine
Victoria, BC

Subject: RE: Beltane/May Day-How do you celebrate?
From: Catherine Jayne
Date: 01 May 07 - 03:45 AM

Paul and I held our Beltane Ritual last night....May Eve. Cast circle, welcomed the God and Goddess, did a couple of spells. Welcomed in the summer hoping the sun would rise again in the morning. I woke this morning to see the sun rise and welcomed in the summer.

Its a glorisous day here today. Tonight we will go up to Lady Penelope's gathering in Chingford.

Bright Beltane Blessings to all

Khatt x

Subject: RE: Beltane/May Day-How do you celebrate?
From: Polly Squeezebox
Date: 01 May 07 - 04:49 PM

After doing some 'night singing' at Devizes Folk Club last night, my contribution to Beltane/May Day - to insist in Court that I use the new Pagan Oath which has been approved by Her Majesty's Court Service and the Home Office -

"I swear by all that I hold sacred that the evidence I give shall be the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth."

Magistrates were bemused, and the Court Clerk objected. I told him to check the Court's information website - he had to admit I was right.

So I think I honoured the God and Goddess in the best way I could considering that I had to be at work today (in Court).

Then tonight - the good bit dancing the moon up - and what a beautiful full moon, following a beautiful May Day. Gaia has truly shown us her wondrous gifts today.


Polly

Subject: RE: Beltane/May Day-How do you celebrate?
From: katlaughing
Date: 01 May 07 - 05:01 PM

Polly, that is a wonderful to honour! Thanks for sharing it.

Subject: RE: Beltane/May Day-How do you celebrate?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 01 May 07 - 05:41 PM

I celebrate with post Eleventy one!

LTS

Subject: RE: Beltane/May Day-How do you celebrate?
From: MBSLynne
Date: 02 May 07 - 03:07 AM

The kids and I got up at 4 and went up Breedon Hill in South Derbyshire where Packington Morris, helped by Leicester and Man Friday Morris sides danced the sun up. It was a lovely morning and watching the sun slide red over the rim of the world was great..only spoiled by the fact that the pollution around the horizon made it look pixillated until it was clear of the edge.

And wasn't the moon beautiful last night? I had to drive to Ashley in Staffordshire to do a talk (about 1 1/4 hours drive) and driving back across the edge of Cannock Chase I could barely keep my eyes on the road for staring at the incredible silvery orb in the sky. A great finish to a well-started May Day. As Cats says, it's got to be a good summer having begun like that!

Love Lynne

Subject: RE: Beltane/May Day-How do you celebrate?
From: Liz the Squeak
Date: 02 May 07 - 03:48 AM

It was a rather splendid moon last night... I was also driving last night and got distracted by it. It brought out the local wildlife too, a young fox with a mouth full of chicken takaway got between me and the front gate. I stood still but he still couldn't decide which way to go, all the while being about 6ft away from me!

LTS

Subject: RE: Beltane/May Day-How do you celebrate?
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 02 May 07 - 05:39 AM

I am not a Pagan, but I grew up in a largely unassimilated Irish community in New York. Certain habits and customs practised in my family can certainly be traced to Pagan origins.

For example, today being the First of May, it is the day to clean out your fireplace, being careful to sweep out every last coal and then discard them. Scrub the stones clean and then light a new fire at sunset. WHile we may sweep out coals during the rest of the year, we don't have to scrub the stones clean again until next May 1st.

First of May is also a day to bring gifts to Brides who were married in the preceding year. Traditonal gifts include a box of salt, a loaf of bread or..bread starter (new live yeast culture), a brand new broom and a silver coin. I have no clue why but I believe the new yeast culture has something to do with the same reason why you light a new fire.

I hear that First of May is a popular Pagan wedding or handfasting day. I always thought that odd since I was told growing up that "Only wicked women marry in the month of May". When I was planning my own wedding made the mistake of suggesting memorial weekend, the shrieks from my 96 year old grandmother nixed that but quick. My sister who got remarried in may after a divorce had her wedding shunned by my family. They refused to attend the ceremony but did go to the recption. I don't know if this because of the wicked women marry in may thing. The reason, I was told is that the month of May is sacred to the Virgin Mary and that any woman thinking herself the equal of the Virgin will suffer bitter disappointment in her marriage.

Amazing how we retain this stuff, eh?

Subject: RE: Beltane/May Day-How do you celebrate?
From: Sugwash
Date: 02 May 07 - 05:58 AM

By staying in bed until the Morris men have safely buggered off.

Subject: RE: Beltane/May Day-How do you celebrate?
From: MuddleC
Date: 02 May 07 - 06:19 AM

Well, I think I'd better report to MI6 or MI5, the suspicious goings on I witnessed yesterday morning...

There I was on this hill-top at 4.30 in the morning, just me the 12thcentury church and the graveyard.... when a group of sinister people started to arrive in ones and twos.... Many were dressed for the cold wind, and had brought spirits to fortify them... many were in ceremominal garb.. oh no! I thought, it's one of those fundamentalist religious groups holding some kind of training session. This seemed harmless enough at first , as these white ninjas used nothing on each other but handerkerchiefs.... a sophisticated scoring device was attached to each of their lower legs and thiese would emit a jingling sound when ever someone was deemed to have received a 'hit',or a 'death-kick' from some other protagonist. There was even some dam fool running about between the bandolier-draped warriors of Morris, and how he got his coat cut to ribbons so was a mystery, for I saw no blades... it was only fit for rags afterwards.......Eventually this was not enough for these men-in-white, for as the sun rose above the far horizon, they discarded the hankie for a deadly baton of hazel or ash which they used to rain frenzied blows down upon one other. All this was done with ancient chant or to the frenzied playing of a melodic reed instument, its' bellows wheezing gleefully animal-like with the strain... then as the sun rose higher, they were gone, like guerillas in the mist..... Breedon Hill could slumber till next year
Mulder and Scully if you're listening..be there!


PS.sorry I missed Packington in the evening msblynne shady ratboy et Ted. but I was john kernackerknackered!!

Subject: RE: Beltane/May Day-How do you celebrate?
From: MBSLynne
Date: 02 May 07 - 07:09 AM

Hmmm...did anyone report the shady looking-individual lurking around the ancient church at 4.30am before the Morris men arrived??


Love Lynne

Subject: RE: Beltane/May Day-How do you celebrate?
From: Lucius
Date: 03 May 07 - 12:36 AM

Jack in the Green on Pack Monadnock, NH

I'm the one with the pony-tail.

Subject: RE: Beltane/May Day-How do you celebrate?
From: katlaughing
Date: 03 May 07 - 12:52 AM

Great video, Lucius. Thanks!

MuddleC...loved your *report*!

Subject: RE: Beltane/May Day-How do you celebrate?
From: Lonesome EJ
Date: 03 May 07 - 01:00 AM

Looks like fun, Lucius! Hours of practice, I'll bet.

Subject: RE: Beltane/May Day-How do you celebrate?
From: Muttley
Date: 03 May 07 - 02:42 AM

Sorry Folks: Did I miss an announcement?

What's up with 'Spaw?

Muttley

PS Happy Beltain

Subject: RE: Beltane/May Day-How do you celebrate?
From: Dave'sWife
Date: 03 May 07 - 03:08 PM

Lucius - I loved the dog who wanted to join in - he even brought his own stick! Nice doggie! Was it a irish Setter? Maybe a retriever of some kind.

Subject: RE: Beltane/May Day-How do you celebrate?
From: GUEST,Art Thieme
Date: 03 May 07 - 05:00 PM

May Day resolution: I write all my dollar signs upside-down.

Art

Subject: RE: Beltane/May Day-How do you celebrate?
From: GUEST,Malcolm Victory
Date: 02 Feb 11 - 10:23 AM

Here in Malvern, Worcestershire we (the local nutters) initiated an annual celebration on the Saturday nearest ot May 1st to celebrate Beltane. There is a Grand Parade through the streets with massed bands (mainly Samba) and dancers, and music in the Priory Park all afternoon, along with amusements, stalls, food - oh yes, and Drink! Now run by the Malvern Fringe, it is in its 16th year. Strangely, it hardly ever rains - which is rare in Malvern! Praise the summer.

Subject: RE: Beltane/May Day-How do you celebrate?
From: GUEST,Pádraig.
Date: 26 Feb 17 - 08:38 AM

I'm trying to find the tune to an 18th century Dublin song called "The May Bush", if the tune exists. I have the lyrics. It begins:

De night before the first of May Riggy dee di di dum tum de To cut a brave bush we all did agree Riggy dee di di dum tum de We being all in a fighting mood We straight se out for Santry Wood To fetch home a bush or spill de last drop of our blood Riggy dee di di dum tum de

Any help would be appreciated.

Subject: RE: Beltane/May Day-How do you celebrate?
From: keberoxu
Date: 27 Apr 17 - 08:42 PM

refresh

Subject: RE: Beltane/May Day-How do you celebrate?
From: keberoxu
Date: 28 Apr 17 - 03:01 PM

and refresh again

Subject: RE: Beltane/May Day-How do you celebrate?
From: Pat deVerse
Date: 30 Apr 17 - 04:06 PM

Bealtaine (pron. Bee aul teena) in our part of the world. Or Mayday! As a strong supporter of workers rights I'll try to get to the May Day march in Dublin tomorrow.