Beltane

Beltane is the sabbat of fertility and the fullness of spring, celebrated on 1 May in the northern hemisphere and around 31 October or 1 November in the southern. It is the festival opposite Samhain on the Wheel of the Year. In Gaelic tradition great bonfires were lit and cattle were driven between them for protection, and from this come customs such as the maypole, the ribbon-decked pole around which people dance. Wicca celebrates the union of the Goddess and the God, sacred sexuality, creativity and the joy of being alive at the height of the year's growth.