may faire

We’ve just celebrated May Faire at Naiya’s school. It’s a colorful, uplifting, joyous community event that recognizes May Day or what the Celts called Beltane. Like most (or all) of you, I didn’t grow up celebrating this day or even understanding what it could possibly mean. Perhaps that’s because I grew up in the season-less semi-desert of Southern California or perhaps it’s because our culture at large had and has lost touch with its need to recognize our connection to the ever changing earth and her everyday yet extraordinary miracles. Here in the Pacific Northwest though, this time of year is such a definite turning point. May Day is what’s known as a cross quarter day. It is, depending on the year and lunar cycles, approximately the midpoint between the Spring Equinox and the Summer Solstice. It feels to me like the real end of winter. The time when planting begins and the heavy rains cease. The moment when we emerge from the solitude of our individual lives and homes and celebrate our place in the community at large. As is traditional, it deserves a lot of dance and song and sharing of cheer. Which is, of course, just what we had.