Hello everyone, it’s May again. The month begins with one of my favorite holidays, May Day, a magical time with flavor of fresh greenery moist with dew or raindrops; of crisp morning air enlivened with birdsong and promise of summer. It is also a time marked by an uptick in the Otherworldly activity, which makes it more likely for humans and inhabitants of Fairy to cross paths. Thinking about May Day brings back memories of baked delicacies heavily dusted with powdered sugar that melt in the mouth and leave hands gluey enough to rival any flytrap; memories of playing and mingling into people’s dances and games, up to mischief, shrugging shoulders at jokes adults exchanged but which meaning remained obscure to us, children. I wrote a post about Romanian May Day traditions which you can read here so I will not get into any more details. For short, this is a holiday I like to celebrate. Which brings me to the actual point for this post, how and why celebrating this holiday changed for me over time. 

Change happens in response to …change. Me, the one writing this post now, in 2026, is a very different person from who I was in the early 1970s. It’s still me, Daniela, and I still like baked delicacies covered in powdered sugar, and I still feel the same excitement about celebrating May Day. What has changed though is the layer of meaning around May Day that I now focus on, which change prompts the shift in how I celebrate and why. Over the past years, my personal practice and beliefs turned fairy-centric almost to the exclusion of everything else. This influenced my perception around the meaning of seasonal tides and astronomical events such as equinoxes or the positions of certain stars. With these in mind, I would like in this post to offer something about celebrating May Day from the perspective of someone involved in a fairy-focused spirituality.

In my (personally created) mythology, the Fairy Liminal Powers or Fairy Gods who rule over the Light Half of the Year, meet on May Eve or Bealtaine (the name for both the festival and the month of May in Irish) On Bealtaine I celebrate the union of these Fairy Powers [1] . I express my gratitude for the promise of abundance in the season ahead, for the joyous energy, and I ask the Powers for their blessings. I also make offerings to the Hidden People, local land spirits, and to the elf-folk I am primarily connected with. 

I don’t do anything complicated. I prepare the space by circumambulating and sprinkling water in which I soaked rose petals. Roses are my personal preference and so far, it has been well received. If you want to try preparing your space like this, by sprinkling herb-infused water, maybe try adding other plants as long as they do not conflict with the fairies you seek to honor. For example, the Irish sí are repelled by St. John’s Wort while many among the Elf-folk favor it. So, do your research in advance. 

For offering, I bring a small pitcher with fresh water or another drink I believe suits the occasion and the beings I honor. Most times, but not always, I make food offerings too. Foods that are traditionally offered to fairies are baked goods, dairy and fresh water, but in my experience any food that is given wholeheartedly and with respect is well received.

I invite the seasonal Fairy Gods that I mentioned, An Dagda, the Fairy king I honor, the local fairies, land spirits, and the Elf-folk I have ties to. I pour out libations for each entity or group that I invite and apportion the food accordingly. Offerings can be other things too, such as reciting or reading something that I wrote especially for the occasion, or, if circumstances allow, dancing or singing.

When I’m done, I like to sit quietly and feel the energy of the space. I thank the invitees for honoring us with their presence, and then I move on to other activities, make merry or, if it is already late, I retire for the night.

In the years past, my Bealtaine celebration included making a May Bush. My intent was not to parrot an Irish tradition. There is a Romanian equivalent to the Irish one, and engaging in this practice felt like standing on a bridge that connects these two cultures I am fond of. 

I haven’t decorated a May Bush in maybe three years, but I believe I will pick up again the custom. My May Bush has a different story and meaning than in the Irish tradition. I think of it as a symbol of abundance, which is the connotation it holds in Romania. I also like the idea of a colorful May Bush as an offering to the Other who I seek to honor on this holiday. The tree symbolism is powerful and widespread, and I believe it is very appropriate for this occasion.

I guess Bealtaine would not be really Bealtaine without a fire no matter how small or symbolic. In the absence of a firepit I shall be content with a bunch of candles illuminating the space during my Bealtaine ritual.

I hope this post gives some insight into how my practice changes as I, as a person, change. And if it provides some ideas about honoring fairies at Bealtaine, then I am really happy.

Thanks for reading and to all those who are celebrating, happy Bealtaine, happy May Eve, and happy Walpurgisnacht!

Daniela   

[1] Lady of the Greenwood and Lord of the Wildwood, see Morgan Daimler, “Fairycraft” (2016) and “Living Fairy” (2020)