Beltane or Bealtaine 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. In Scottish Gaelic it is called Latha Bealltainn, 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.
A wicker man bonfire for Beltane at Butser Ancient Farm
Beltany stone circle in Ireland
Drummers perform in front of the remains of a Beltane wicker man at Butser Ancient Farm in Hampshire, England
A Beltane bonfire at WEHEC 2015
The Gaels are an ethnolinguistic group native to Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man. They are associated with the Gaelic languages: a branch of the Celtic languages comprising Irish, Manx and Scottish Gaelic.
The Emigrants, painting from 1844. This depicts a Highland Scots family in Gaelic dress migrating to New Zealand.
Scota and Goídel Glas voyaging from Egypt. From the 15th century chronicle the Scotichronicon.
The Lia Fáil at the Hill of Tara, sacred site of inauguration for the Gaelic High Kings.
A page from the 9th century Book of Kells, one of the finest examples of Insular art. It is believed to have been made in Gaelic monasteries in Ireland and Scotland.
