Beltane – May 1, 2025

History of Beltane

The word ‘Beltane’ comes from the Celtic God ‘Bel,’ which is an Irish word for ‘fire.’ So, this festival should be celebrated by lighting a bonfire. The fires recall the growing power of the sun, and it is an opportunity to cleanse and renew the conditions of the community. But from ancient times, this practice declined, and the towns and villages slowly abandoned it in the 19th century. The last Beltane fire recorded in Helmsdale took place in 1820. The lighting stopped in the Shetland Isles by the 1870s. By the start of the 20th century, Edinburgh, which had celebrated Beltane since time immemorial and lit the fires during Arthur’s time, stopped celebrating it.

It was in 1988 when there was a revival of the great tradition. In Edinburgh, Beltane fires were lit once again. Angus Farquhar led the movement, followed by the industrial band Test Dept, who took part in the first Beltane performance. They recreated the sense of community and an appreciation of the cyclical nature of the seasons. Within five years, the number of performers and the number of the audience grew.

People came to support the continuation of the festival. Calton Hill became the seat of the new Beltane celebrations. In 1992, Angus Farquhar organized his last Beltane. The Beltane Fire Society formed and took his mantle. By 1992, the audience reached 10,000, and by 2001, the festival took on its first paid production manager to coordinate the growing event. In 2004, they started charging for tickets to attend the event.