MAY DAY: celebrating the ancient traditions of Beltane in our new world

I’m not sure there has ever been a more appropriate time in our lifetimes to say this: MAY DAY! MAY DAY! That’s right, 4/20 is officially over (on the calendar, at least). In Irish, Scottish, and pagan tradition, the first day of May is generally celebrated with festivals, frolicking, and bonfire parties. Known as Beltane or May Day, this midway point between the spring equinox and summer solstice looked a little different this year. Given the current need to practice social distancing, we couldn’t exactly do a whole lot of frolicking. (And bonfires are currently banned at the beach.) We might be living in a different time than the revelers of May Days past, but there are other ways to appreciate the turn of the season toward summer.

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