It’s the end of April, the start of May, and by traditional reckoning of time, the start of summer. I know, it snowed in New England not all that long ago. That may be one reason why Americans are generally not all that excited about the series of holidays that we enter into tonight in our yearly round. Be that as it may, tonight brings Walpurgis Night, or May Eve, which brings in May Day tomorrow. The Puritans may have had something to do with our ambivalence, too: they really despised holidays of this nature (well… holidays in general), which were a little too close to our Pagan roots.
In Pagan tradition, it is Beltane, and here, too, the wheel of the year makes its shift from spring to summer. With Beltane, we are at the opposite side of the wheel from Samhain as October shifts to November. Samhain welcomes winter; Beltane welcomes summer.
A good menu for your dinner tonight might include gravlax, thinly sliced cured salmon served with dill and mustard. It’s often served on dark rye bread, so it is much like that open face sandwich I often buy at the Finnish bakery nearby in Lantana, which is comprised of dark rye bread spread with a mustardy sauce, sliced hard boiled eggs, and then smoked salmon, garnished with fresh dill. (I’ve found that this delicacy does not appeal to a lot of people; my partner Seth is a hard sell, for instance. But gravlax and that Finnish sandwich both taste better than you and Seth may think.)
It’s also traditional to include quantities of sparkling wine in your Walpurgis Night celebration. And, as is the case with many of these nights that bring a shift in season, it is customary to light a bonfire. We heartily believe that even small manifestations of these things (a candle and smoked fish dip and saltines… why not?) places you in the proper spirit should you not be quite up to a bonfire and gravlax.
We are, officially or not, at the gentler time of year. It is a time of light and of warmth. Summer is indeed a comin’ in; we welcome it with open arms. Go on: Welcome summer. Bring in the May!
Image: Svenska: Valborgsbrasa i Gamla Bo vid Ringsjön. Photograph by David Castor, 2008, [Public domain] via Wikimedia Commons.