Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun An ancient Celtic feast, usually observed on May 1, marked by the lighting of bonfires and the performance of various rites of purification.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun The first day of May (old style); old Mayday, one of the four quarter-days (the others being Lammas, Hallow-mass, and Candlemas) anciently observed in Scotland.
- noun An ancient Celtic festival or anniversary formerly observed on Beltane or May-day in Scotland, and in Ireland on June 21st.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun The first day of May (Old Style).
- noun A festival of the heathen Celts on the first day of May, in the observance of which great bonfires were kindled. It still exists in a modified form in some parts of Scotland and Ireland.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- proper noun An ancient
Gaelic /Celtic holiday celebrated around the first of May.
Etymologies
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition
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Examples
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IN THE CENTRAL Highlands of Scotland bonfires, known as the Beltane fires, were formerly kindled with great ceremony on the first of May, and the traces of human sacrifices at them were particularly clear and unequivocal.
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IN THE CENTRAL Highlands of Scotland bonfires, known as the Beltane fires, were formerly kindled with great ceremony on the first of May, and the traces of human sacrifices at them were particularly clear and unequivocal.
Chapter 62. The Fire-Festivals of Europe. § 4. The Beltane Fires 1922
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IN THE CENTRAL Highlands of Scotland bonfires, known as the Beltane fires, were formerly kindled with great ceremony on the first of
The Golden Bough James George Frazer 1897
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That there were two days known as Beltane at the beginning of last century is evident from a book of Scotch proverbs published in 1721 by James Kelly,
Folk Lore Superstitious Beliefs in the West of Scotland within This Century James Napier 1847
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In Scotland, the May holiday was called Beltane -- or Beltaine or Bealltainn or any one of a number of other variations.
Unusual Historicals 2009
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In Scotland, the May holiday was called Beltane -- or Beltaine or Bealltainn or any one of a number of other variations.
Unusual Historicals 2009
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May 1st is a day of importance in many European cultures - known as Beltane / Bealtaine in the British Isles and as Walpurgisnacht in Germany and Scandinavia ... as well as being International Workers Day ...
Irish Blogs 2009
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The former took place in the beginning of May, and was called Beltane or "fire of God".
unknown title 2009
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In Scotland, the May holiday was called Beltane -- or Beltaine or Bealltainn or any one of a number of other variations.
Unusual Historicals 2009
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In Scotland, the May holiday was called Beltane -- or Beltaine or Bealltainn or any one of a number of other variations.
Unusual Historicals Blythe Gifford 2009
qroqqa commented on the word Beltane
Of unknown etymology. The second element might be related to the Irish for "fire", or it might not. The OED of 1887 finished up its etymology with this pungent and Rabelaisian criticism, words I fear will not make it through when it's revised for the third edition:
The rubbish about Baal, Bel, Belus, imported into the word from the Old Testament and classical antiquity, is outside the scope of scientific etymology.
May 14, 2013