The changing of the year
May 1, 2012 9:03 AM Subscribe
Midway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice is Belatane, when the dark half of the year ends and the light half begins. Some celebrate the spiritual. Some the social.
For some Beltane stirs more earthy observations.
Oops, sorry. Yes. NSFW.
Although, oddly, possibly not completely inappropriate.
posted by BadMiker at 9:12 AM on May 1, 2012
Although, oddly, possibly not completely inappropriate.
posted by BadMiker at 9:12 AM on May 1, 2012
My Catholic upbringing also included a procession complete with a May Queen. No bonfires, though. Curse the luck. I'd love to have a May Day celebration like the one in that last link.
posted by Kitty Stardust at 9:15 AM on May 1, 2012
posted by Kitty Stardust at 9:15 AM on May 1, 2012
This one is lot more NSFW but this one is magic.
posted by adamvasco at 9:17 AM on May 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by adamvasco at 9:17 AM on May 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
It's almost like a pagan thing!
posted by Windopaene at 9:19 AM on May 1, 2012
posted by Windopaene at 9:19 AM on May 1, 2012
Oh man was this pagan festival celebrated by the Finns. Last year ... wait I don't remember much...
posted by infini at 9:24 AM on May 1, 2012
posted by infini at 9:24 AM on May 1, 2012
This doesn't make sense to me. Isn't the light half of the year the half between the two equinoxes?
posted by Plutor at 9:26 AM on May 1, 2012
posted by Plutor at 9:26 AM on May 1, 2012
Previously on MetaFilter:
Summer begins today. No, really.
( On the druidic cross-quarter day calendar, summer begins today. Hence A Midsummer's Night Dream took place on the eve of the summer solstice...)
posted by y2karl at 9:36 AM on May 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
Summer begins today. No, really.
( On the druidic cross-quarter day calendar, summer begins today. Hence A Midsummer's Night Dream took place on the eve of the summer solstice...)
posted by y2karl at 9:36 AM on May 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
Plutor check out cross quarter days on the celtic wheel of the year. This link will help the mathematically minded.
posted by adamvasco at 9:41 AM on May 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
posted by adamvasco at 9:41 AM on May 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
This doesn't make sense to me. Isn't the light half of the year the half between the two equinoxes?
That's what I would have thought, too. Pedantry aside, that looks ridiculously fun to be part of, and a great spectacle.
posted by Forktine at 9:41 AM on May 1, 2012
That's what I would have thought, too. Pedantry aside, that looks ridiculously fun to be part of, and a great spectacle.
posted by Forktine at 9:41 AM on May 1, 2012
Sumer is icumen in, Lhude sing cuccu. . .
If you are not building the wicker man, you are the sacrifice.
Poor Sgt. Howie.
posted by Herodios at 10:36 AM on May 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
If you are not building the wicker man, you are the sacrifice.
Poor Sgt. Howie.
posted by Herodios at 10:36 AM on May 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
I just got back from dancing for the kindergartners with the Asheville Morris Men, and watching the kids dance maypoles and sing old songs (Come Follow and White Coral Bells.)
Crazy Pagans takin' over this town.
posted by bitslayer at 10:55 AM on May 1, 2012 [3 favorites]
Crazy Pagans takin' over this town.
posted by bitslayer at 10:55 AM on May 1, 2012 [3 favorites]
Re: adamvasco's first link...apparently nobody over the age of 25 or so is allowed to celebrate Beltane...?
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:08 AM on May 1, 2012
posted by Greg_Ace at 11:08 AM on May 1, 2012
Does anyone do May Baskets, the charming practice of hanging a small basket of flowers on someone's front door knob?
posted by Cranberry at 11:14 AM on May 1, 2012
posted by Cranberry at 11:14 AM on May 1, 2012
It is also Crawl over Unopened Peony Blossoms Day for ants everywhere.
In the northern hemisphere, that is.
posted by y2karl at 12:46 PM on May 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
In the northern hemisphere, that is.
posted by y2karl at 12:46 PM on May 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
This doesn't make sense to me. Isn't the light half of the year the half between the two equinoxes?
It's not the light half of the year, it's the light quarter of the year.
posted by restless_nomad at 1:07 PM on May 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
It's not the light half of the year, it's the light quarter of the year.
posted by restless_nomad at 1:07 PM on May 1, 2012 [1 favorite]
I'll know it's Beltane when the Classic-Rock station plays an old T. Rex track.
posted by ovvl at 5:33 PM on May 1, 2012
posted by ovvl at 5:33 PM on May 1, 2012
As the old hippie saying goes:
“Hooray, hooray, it's the First of May,
Outdoor fucking starts today.”
posted by acb at 3:38 AM on May 2, 2012 [1 favorite]
“Hooray, hooray, it's the First of May,
Outdoor fucking starts today.”
posted by acb at 3:38 AM on May 2, 2012 [1 favorite]
My fondest May Day memory is my senior year of high school, when I went to the maypole dance to watch some of my classmates dance. The problem was that it was very windy that day, and they were worried that the maypole would blow over. They solved this problem by having the girls dance around the maypole for most of the dance, then stopping the dance to completely erect the pole (which had been retracted until that point), and then letting the girls finish the dance.
posted by Elementary Penguin at 7:10 AM on May 4, 2012
posted by Elementary Penguin at 7:10 AM on May 4, 2012
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