May Day: Integrating Beliefs and Traditions

I grew up in a strongly dualistic society. The beliefs in the supernatural ran deep, and the majority of people honored those beliefs with a certain degree of discretion. On the other hand, what I was taught in school and what was publically, albeit superficially upheld as the norm, was to deny the supernatural. Great mental and emotional place to be, isn’t it, especially for a child who can see those things that the official system of education affirms they don’t exist. 

Back then, the way I approached holidays attempted to bridge this duality. I enjoyed the days off from school and my parents' days off from work because we could visit with friends or travel. But on such days I also wanted to do something special for the Others, like I saw my grandmother doing more or less secretly. My personal feel was that holidays encompassed the laic and spiritual dimensions, and the spiritual layer always stood out bold and strong, no matter how much the modern and “progressive” forces within society tried to drown it.  Bealtaine [1] , Walpurgisnacht [2], or as lived it in my childhood years, May Day, is one such example. I shall explain.

In Romania of my childhood, May 1^st was officially celebrated as the International Workers Day, when schools and public institutions were decorated with flowers and flags in the national colors, and parades were organized in all the cities. People gathered around tables on terraces for cold beer and “mici” [3], gathered for picnics, and generally had a good time. But in the rural areas, May Day had a different flavor. May Day marked the transition into summer, and signaled the beginning of a new season in the agricultural calendar. As a time of transition, the beginning of May called for specific rituals. Such knowledge has been handed down from one generation to the next through hundreds, if not through thousands of years. Maypole, specific foods, fire-lighting, people dressing in traditional garb, dancing and feasting, magic for protection and prosperity, and charms for health and beauty – that was, and still is, my kind of holiday. 

May Pole dancing in teh Ardeal region of Romania, 
Photo credit: "Unirea" newspaper archives

Fortunately, many traditions survived modernization quite successfully, especially in rural areas. Same as forty-five years go, on May Day Eve, green boughs are hung at doors and gates, around byres and stalls to keep people and livestock safe from the mischief caused by iele⁴ and other malicious spirits. A long pole with green boughs tied on top, or a small tree, is decorated with flower wreaths, and then planted in the front yard or at the front gate. This is done for protection, but also to propitiate the God of vegetation⁵, protector of crops, orchards, wildlife, and cattle. I found this practice to be very similar to the Irish custom of decorating the May Bush for Bealtaine, May 1^st. 

A much older name for May Day still in use in rural areas is Armindeni. It is also known as the Wormwood Holiday. Wormwood (Artemisia absinthium) is a close related to Mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris). Both herbs are known for their magic properties and are used in similar ways. On May Day, bunches of Wormwood and/or Mugwort are used to sweep back (bring back) a person who has left home and their return is much desired. The same bunches can be used to sweep out disease. This is done either by the elder woman in the house who uses the herbs to sweep all family members with long, downward strokes running from head to feet, or by each person using the bunch of herbs to brush themselves form head to toes.  Wormwood is also added to red wine which is drunk on this occasion to strengthen the body. Wormwood and/or Mugwort twigs are carried inside pockets, belts, or pinned on hats to ward off malicious spirits.

May Bushes.

Photo credit: Mythologica.ro

My practice, as it is today, still carries a flavor that is reminiscent of the traditions that I grew up with, specifically those traditions that focus on fairies. I bring this up for discussion because as I said in previous posts (August and September 2021), I currently follow a path that is centered on fairy and integrates beliefs from Romanian, Irish, and to some extent Norse[6] traditions. It is hard work to preserve balance with regard to authenticity of traditions in their cultural context and the need to practice in a way that is authentic to myself and my own beliefs. I am pretty sure that I am not the only one trying to integrate elements from various cultures into a cohesive personal approach, and this is the reason I am sharing form my own experience . 

In Ireland Bealtaine, May Day, is one of the four fire festivals. The holiday, under various names, is celebrated everywhere in the territories inhabited by Celtic languages speaking cultures, and in places where Germanic influences are present, such as Romania.

Bealtaine marks the half way between Spring Equinox and Summer solstice, but more importantly, it marks the beginning of summer on the agrarian calendar. The Pleiades, know as 7 Queens, 7 Sisters, The Hen, The Clock, The Wren, disappear from the night sky (by April 22 this star cluster it is no longer visible in the night sky anywhere in the Northern hemisphere) Their dissapearing, kown as the heliacal setting, announces that the time for various seasonal activities has arrived. It is not so much the date, May 1^st that is important but it is the Pleiades position signaling people to engage in agricultural, farming, fishing, and sailing activities. 

This is a time when I acknowledge the presence of the Other as I learned from my native culture as well as from those traditions that fused into my current path. Bealtaine, May Day, or Walpurgisnacht, officially begins on April 30, at sunset (May Day Eve). In my own practice and beliefs, during this time the Fairy Gods or Liminal Powers exercise a very strong presence. They are connected to the seasons changing, the shifting into summer. Also, fairies travel around more than usually, and their paths intersect those of humans. In my own experience and according to Romanian fairy lore, this is the time when Sânziene begin to make their presence felt. Their activity peaks on their eponymous holiday, the Feast of Sânziene on Midsummer. In addition to the Fairy Gods, on this holiday I welcome the Zâne, acknowledge the Aos Side and the Alfar, and honor my guides and familiars.

On April 30^th, early in the day, I decorate the May bush, clean and arrange the altar, and prepare what I need for the ritual that I’ll hold later. At sunset I bring the supplies and offerings by the Fairy Tree, where I have a dedicated space for rituals, meditation, offerings, etc. I like to keep things simple. I prepare the space, acknowledge the Powers, invite my Otherworldly guests, make offerings (whatever forms offerings may take) light the fire, do some magic, give thanks and pour out some libations of fresh water, and close the ritual. 

My May Bush.

Picture taken by Daniela Simina on May Eve,2022

I do not have a proper fire pit in my backyard, so I light up the fire in a rather large, heat-resisting ceramic bowl which I crafted myself when I was in college. I also light some incense. I walk around the fire, basking in the warmth and brightness, and invite cleansing and protective energies. I meditate, renew the wards around the property, and after the fire goes out, I scatter the ashes in the yard and around the house, on the outside, for prosperity and protection.

My small scale ritual fire

Picture taken by Daniela Simina on May Eve, 2022

The next day, May 1^st, I get out early to walk barefoot in the grass and wash my face with dewdrops as I learned from my grandmother.  I spend time outside, by myself or with my family, take omens, feast, and have a good time.  If I do any warding or cleansing, I prefer Mugwort. I have never been fond of red wine with wormwood in it because it is too bitter for my taste, but I do acknowledge it as a powerful liver tonic used in folk medicine [7]. 

I also add May 2^nd to the actual holiday since it feels right to do so. My feeling is that the energy of Bealtaine doesn’t, all of a sudden, stop flowing at the end of May 1^st as if someone flips a switch to the “Off“ position.  April 30 through May 2 feels, in my own perception, a smooth continuum that initiates with the approach of April 30, builds up gradually, and begins to fade with the sunset of May 2^nd. On this evening, May 2, as I take down the May bush, I give thanks for the Spring that just passed and ready myself the Summer ahead. Another season filled with Their gifts, blessings, and challenges is just about to begin.

Notes:

 [1]  I began to use systematically the name Bealtaine in 2013 when I shifted toward an Irish-based pagan practice.

[2] In my family, we also referred to May Day Eve as Walpurgisnacht. For context, my father was born and raised in the German community in Transylvania, the western region of Romania. I attended German pre-school until age 7, so I had a fair amount of exposure to German customs and lore.

 [3] “mici” literally translate as “smalls”, and are made of ground meat and spices, shaped into small rolls which are then roasted on the grill. 

 [4] Fairies who can become very dangerous when shown disrespect or intruded upon. Iele are not particularly fond of humans, although they can heal people, or grant healing powers to those fairy-seers who they favor.

 [5] The practice maintains its pagan overtones and interpretations alongside the Christian meanings acquired later on.

 [6] I shall explain  in a separate post where the Norse-Germanic component comes from and how does it fit along with the rest.

 [7] This is not intended as medical advice, nor is this something I recommend that you consume. Whatever food and drink you ingest, ritually or otherwise, it is entirely your own responsibility.  

Resources:

Daimler, Morgan “Living Fairy”, 2020
Dobrescu, Petre  “1 Mai- Sarbatoarea de Armindeni.” , 2018. Retrieved at https://www.libertatea.ro/stiri/1-mai-sarbatoarea-de-armindeni-traditii-populare-romanesti-2230701
Ghinoiu, Ion “Romanian Folk Almanac”, 2021
Gundarsson, Kveldwulf “Elves, Wights, and Trolls”, 2007