--- title: Bealtaine (May Day) description: The ancient Celtic festival marking the beginning of summer. canonical_url: md_url: last_updated: 2026-01-17T06:35:05Z starts_at: 2026-05-01T00:00:00Z ends_at: 2026-05-01T23:59:59Z --- Bealtaine is one of the four major Celtic seasonal festivals, celebrated on May 1st. It marks the beginning of summer and was traditionally a time for lighting bonfires, decorating May bushes, and moving cattle to summer pastures. The festival celebrates fertility, growth, and the return of warmth. ## Stór Focal _Vocabulary_ Essential Irish vocabulary for Bealtaine ### [Lá Bealtaine]() May Day ### [tine Bhealtaine]() May Day fire / Bealtaine bonfire ### [samhradh]() summer ### [crann bealtaine]() May bush / May tree ### [bláth]() flower / blossom ### [sceach gheal]() hawthorn / May blossom ### [bó]() cow ### [drúcht]() dew ### [sí]() fairy / fairy mound ### [Bealtaine shona duit]() Happy May Day to you ## Items ### [Bealtaine]() May Day / Start of Summer This is a festival page from the Love.irish calendar, a special collection gathering the Irish vocabulary, traditions, and resources behind a Celtic celebration. Sign in to save it, and follow the links above to each entry in the Codex, our community dictionary with translations, pronunciations, community ratings, and recordings. ## More information - [Search love.irish for Irish & Celtic records (codex, library, collections, events, people, topics)]() - [Full markdown index of the site, every page (handy to browse, share, or hand to AI)]() - [Love.irish home]() --- Source: https://love.irish/calendar/bealtaine Made with ❤️ from love.irish – learn Irish (Gaeilge) through community, resources and a little adventure.