Beltaine Around The World

 In Britain, the Royal family still burns a balefire each May Eve to keep the family line going.


In Norway, old brooms are thrown into the balefire and new ones are didicated to their purpose.


In Scotland the balefire was lit for the 'need fire', the only non-ritual fire allowed to burn on this day.


The Norse believed you had to sleep at home on Beltane Eve and keep the hearth fire burning strongly until dawn


In Wales the balefires were kept burning for Three days, because 3 was a sacred number to the Celts.


In the Alps of Italy, the festival is Floralia. Flowers and plants are picked on May 1st and a very potent wine is made from them. Each year, all the old wine has to be comsumed before midnight and more flowers and plants gathered for the next year's batch.


In China, it is considered good luck to eat noodles in the Springtime.