Close to the first of May, I thought I’d like to show my students a bit about the Celtic year. Based on my notes from class with Ray Mac Mánais, I replicated a circular diagram that shows the major Celtic festivals and months in Irish. I put it into a handout with a bit about Bealtaine. An Bhliain Cheilteach
It doesn’t have any particular pagan or Wiccan aspect to it – there are far more detailed diagrams available online, but this one’s in Irish. It’s got:
- laethanta cinn ráithe = quarter days (e.g. grianstad an tsamhraidh = summer solstice)
- laethanta trascheathrún = cross-quarter days (e.g. Samhain, Imbolc, Bealtaine, Lúnasa)
- na séasúir = seaons (e.g. an samhradh, an fómhar)
- na míonna = months
You’re welcome to re-use the diagram in your own handouts.
References I used:
- Transparent Irish Blog: https://blogs.transparent.com/irish/mayday-may-day-bealtaine/
- Irish Archaeology: https://irisharchaeology.ie/2011/05/mayday-and-bealtaine/
- Irish Times: https://www.irishtimes.com/culture/in-a-word-bone-fire-1.2269488