Learning how to Celebrate May Day (Beltane) & Crafts for Kids on May Day

I have never celebrated May Day, also known as Beltane, the way I did today. Usually I get a bouquet of flowers at my doorstep and if I am really organized I leave one at somebody else's doorstep. This year I opted to study up on what the celebration is all about.

I enjoyed the description I found at: http://www.circlesanctuary.org/pholidays/Beltane.html
May Day is all about celebrating the Height of Spring and the Flowering of Life. The colorful ribbons around the May Pole, or in our case, scarves, represent the Rainbow spectrum. Beltane is a festival of flowers, fertility, sensuality, and delight. Circle Sanctuary describes the May Pole ritual as:

"The Goddess manifests as the May Queen and Flora. The God emerges as the May King and Jack in the Green. The danced Maypole represents Their unity, with the pole itself being the God and the ribbons that encompass it, the Goddess."

In light of my new discoveries concerning May Day I converted my new alder archway into my own version of a May Pole, I call it my May Archway (it rhymes!). It was quite beautiful and striking with the colorful play scarves tied to it (see pictures). Marina and Stella helped me decorate it and we even added some stuffed animal toys and dolls. We finished the night off with a whole family dance around the Archway and then some jumping on the trampoline, all the while enjoying the moon and the unusually warm evening breeze. Ahhhhhhhhhh

Checkout our May Day Pictures below: Here are some cool

MAY DAY CRAFT IDEAS FOR PARENTS AND KIDS

The girls' May Day baskets from "the Garden Faeries" filled with moss, flower petals, blue bells, and camellias, as well as a small note with each girl's name on it and a little message.

Stella's May Day Note, from the faeries

Marina's May Day Note, from the faeries

The girls surprised me with homemade baskets decorated with pen drawings and fresh flowers at my doorstep while they were spending time with grandma. How sweet!

flower bear rests on the climbing rose

Marina's birth tree: Magnolia blooms for the first time this year! Just in time for May Day

The Maple tree shows it's colors today for the first time this year, yea! Leaves!

Little Stella notices and enjoys the newly blooming rhododendrons.

celebrating with flowers on the front step

Marina probably tried on 5 different fancy dresses to dance in. This is a skirt as shirt, with Stella and the May poles in the background.

The may pole, our new archway from the parking area to our house. I just dug the poles in today and tied them at the top. They make a great may pole.

Stella enjoys the celebration with her butterfly doll and her sunflower doll

Our May poles are decorated with colorful scarves from Emily Day's Dancing colors studio

Dancing around the poles

Admiring the pretty colors dancing in the wind!

The Moon on a clear night