About Beltane (May Day)
Beltane is the Gaelic festival that marks the beginning of summer, celebrated on May 1 opposite Samhain on the Wheel of the Year. Historically it was a fire festival: communities drove their cattle between two great bonfires for protection and good fortune before moving them to summer pastures. Like Samhain, it was seen as a time when the boundary with the otherworld thinned. This live Beltane countdown shows how many days, hours and minutes remain in your timezone.
Beltane customs celebrate fertility, growth and the flowering of the land — gathering May flowers, decorating homes and wells with greenery, dancing around maypoles and crowning a May Queen. Many of these blended into the wider May Day traditions of Britain and Europe. The festival was revived in spectacular form in Edinburgh, where the annual Beltane Fire Festival on Calton Hill draws thousands to watch torch-lit processions and fire performances each April 30.
Beltane is one of the four Gaelic fire festivals and a cross-quarter day midway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice, traditionally kept on May 1 with its eve on April 30. Modern Pagans celebrate it as a festival of vitality and union. Once the day passes, this page counts down to next year's Beltane — bookmark it or add it to your own countdown page.
Upcoming dates
| 2027 | Saturday, May 1, 2027next |
| 2028 | Monday, May 1, 2028 |
| 2029 | Tuesday, May 1, 2029 |
| 2030 | Wednesday, May 1, 2030 |
| 2031 | Thursday, May 1, 2031 |
FAQ
When is Beltane?
Beltane is celebrated on May 1, with festivities often starting the evening before on April 30. The countdown above shows the exact time remaining in your timezone.
Why is Beltane celebrated?
It welcomes the start of summer and the height of spring's growth — a fire festival for fertility, protection and the flourishing of crops and herds.
How is Beltane celebrated?
Traditionally with bonfires, driving cattle between the flames, maypole dancing, May flowers and a May Queen; Edinburgh revives it as a famous fire festival.
Is Beltane the same as May Day?
They share May 1 and many customs. Beltane is the older Gaelic fire festival, while May Day is the broader European spring celebration that absorbed much of its tradition.