A celebration of May Day, spring, and the dance of renewal
Each color carries meaning as it weaves around the pole:
The fire of life awakening after winter's sleep
The clean slate of spring's fresh start
The returning verdure of the living earth
The lengthening days and warming sun
The azure dome above spring meadows
The blush of spring blossoms
The violet flowers in woodland shadows
The promise of autumn's bounty
The richness of the returning season
The lingering magic of Beltane eve
✿ Dew gathered at dawn on May Day preserves beauty and grants clear sight
✿ The first person to bring flowers into the house on May morning brings luck for the year
✿ Washing your face in May dew cures freckles and ensures a fair complexion
✿ Cattle driven between two Beltane fires are protected from disease for the coming year
✿ A hawthorn branch brought inside invites the fairies—with all their mischief
✿ Children born on May Day have the gift of second sight
✿ Couples who jump the Beltane fire together are bound for the year
✿ May marriages are unlucky: 'Marry in May, rue the day'
✿ The veil between worlds is thin; ancestors and spirits walk freely
✿ Wells visited at dawn on May Day have healing powers
Finnish honey-lemon mead, fermented just enough to sparkle, served with raisins floating in the glass
Finnish funnel cakes, lacy and golden, the traditional accompaniment to sima
Scottish bannocks blessed by the Beltane fire for protection and plenty
Frothy English cream whipped with wine, the May Day indulgence
First honey of the season from bees drunk on spring blossoms
The first tender leaves of spring: dandelion, sorrel, wild garlic, nettle
German May punch made with sweet woodruff, white wine, and strawberries
The fresh cheeses of spring, when pastures are lush and milk is rich
"Come, let us go while the morning is fine,
And weave a fair garland of roses and thyme."
The Maypole · Session 88 · May Day 2026