Yellow flowers - Irish Customs around Bealtine
“...go out May Eve and gather armfuls of yellow flowers known as May Flowers. These are strewn at the gate of every field, outside the doors of homes and out-houses and even on the housetops. It is considered that these would keep away ill-luck, evil spirits and disease.”
I’ve found countless references to the importance of yellow flowers on Bealtaine. Now it could just be yellow flowers because that's what's in season most this time of year, but since Bealtaine also welcomes the start of summer there could be a connection with the bright yellow flowers being like the summer sunshine (totally speculating there)
These flowers were often collected by children either before dusk on May Eve or before dawn on Bealtaine May Day. The flowers were used to decorate areas, often placed on thresholds as the quote above shows, gates and doors as these spaces are the most important to protect against ill-luck and evil spirits.
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Bunches of yellow flowers were often tied to cattle and horses for both protective and festive reasons, the source for this is Mythical Ireland youtube channel.
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I always associated Samhain (1st of November) to be that time of year where the veil is thinnest and ‘the good people’ (na daoine maithe, the Sí, fairies) can be out and about in this world, but as it turns out Bealtaine is something similar. It was thought that ‘the good people’ were moving about in this world on May Eve night and so you had to have your wits about you. Maybe grab a sabhaircín / primrose or crobh éin / birds foot trefoil and pop it in your pocket this Bealtaine to be on the safe side ;)
If you’d like to check out the Bealtaine pin I made to celebrate May 1st you can take a look below! There is also a box set with all the cross quarter festival pins included in a special Nine Arrow gift box.
