Floralia (a.k.a. Beltane)
*Disclaimer: This blog post is about my own personal seasonal festival, and is shared as an example of what localised, secular, and bioregional seasonal celebrations can look like. It also includes a little historical information, both related to the 'traditional' Wiccan/neopagan wheel of the year (created by Ross Nichols and Gerald Gardner in the 1950s), and some of the various cultural festivals that pre-date, inspire, and coincide with these celebrations. This is not presented as a scholarly, historical, objective, or prescriptive article; take what resonates with or inspires you, and leave what doesn't.
Other names: Beltane (Wiccan/neopagan), May Day (northern hemisphere), Novey Eve (southern hemisphere)
Traditional Date: November 1 (NH: May 1)
2026 Astronomical Date: November 7 (NH: May 5)*
Themes: Creativity, pleasure, activity
Moon Phase: Waxing Gibbous
Colours: Yellow, pink, light purples
Native Botanicals: Balga, orchids
Botanicals: Jacaranda, jasmine, orange, rose, dandelion, dill, hawthorn
Incense: Orange, rose, vanilla
Crystals: Clear quartz, sunstone
Foods: Strawberries, oranges, oats/grains, honey, dairy, cakes, mead.
At Beltane/Floralia in Australia, we’re balancing our Halloween celebrations with the tail end of spring. While the wildflower season is starting to peter off, gardens are still filled with colour. The jasmine and jacarandas so popular for public plantings become hard to miss!
In Australia, in contrast with much of the Northern Hemisphere finishing up their harvest for the year, our grain harvest is just beginning! We’re thoroughly into fruit-picking season, with strawberries wrapping up and early stone fruits starting up.
In La Niña years, the weather might still be mild, or even wet, whereas in El Niño years, we might already be experiencing 40°C days, with bushfire season well underway.
Either way, it’s a time of year that makes me feel joy, and inspires me to spend some time outdoors. Halloween makes my creepy goth heart sing, and it’s hard not to smile when the world is lit up purple and jasmine-scented!
Linked/Coinciding Festivals:
- Floralia (Pre-Christian Roman)
- May Day (European/Germanic)
- Lá Bealtaine/Cétshamhain (Irish Gaelic)
- Calan Mai (Welsh)
- Walpurgis Night (Christian/European)
Bealtaine (generally styled in modern English as ‘Beltane’) is the one rare case of romance matching history: Evidence firmly suggests it has pre-Christian roots, and was celebrated all over the Biritish Isles - a genuine Celtic pagan festival!
Beltane marked the start of summer, and celebrations commonly included the use of bonfires, created to bring luck and health to livestock and humans alike.
Obviously bonfires aren’t such a great option in bushfire season, but for other historically-based ideas, Ronald Hutton’s Stations of the Sun (1996) includes six chapters that cover the history of the festival across Britain and Ireland, from pre-Christian celebrations up to the modern day.
Common Themes: Floralia, May Day, Bealtaine, and Calan Mai are all high spring festivals, involving flowers, dancing, celebrating fertility/sexuality. Bonfires are a central part of Bealtaine, Calan Mai and Walpurgis Night observances, with the primary purpose of protection, against supernatural figures (predominantly the aos sí and witches, but also other baneful spirits/magic, and bad luck/sorrow) as well as more practical threats (like pests and disease).
Modern celebrations of May Day, Beltane, Calan Mai, and Walpurgis night have all influenced each other to varying degrees over the past millennia or so, and some traditions associated with these are difficult to attribute to one source. A particular mystery is the May Pole, the first record of which is in 14th Century Britain, around which there are a number of theories about its original symbolism, but no particular evidence for any. Wiccans often claim that the May Pole began as a phallic symbol, although this is the most recent theory, and there has been no historical evidence found to support it.
How to celebrate Floralia (Beltane) in Australia:
- Braid your hair with brightly-coloured ribbons and/or flowers! Or make flower crowns/floral wreaths, and/or use braids, ribbons, and flowers for general decorations.
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May Poles:
- Some areas hold public celebrations including May Poles (especially in Europe);
- If you can find a (new or existing) group to celebrate with, a full-sized May Pole could be erected collectively, or improvised from a flagpole, hills-hoist clothesline, or similar;
- A small May Pole can also be crafted with narrower ribbons to fit on your altar!
- Beltane can tend a little hedonistic, so do something indulgent, particularly that you might normally stop yourself from! Particularly something that brings you into your body and makes you feel good. It can be a great excuse to pamper yourself or indulge in something sweet!
- Baked goods (especially sweets) are perfect for this! In addition to it being the grain harvest in Australia, wheat symbolism goes back to Roman Floralia celebrations. Include honey, flowers, or seasonal fruits for an added boost.
- Fertility and sexuality are strong themes of this event, so this can be harnessed through attending a burlesque show, or sexual activities (solo or not).
- If you’re underage, or if sexual themes aren’t your jam, fertility can also refer to creativity! This can be a great time to plan or work on creative projects.
- Traditionally, fertility also applied to agriculture: How is you garden going? Is any fertiliser or additional work required to increase the fertility of your garden?
- If you live somewhere where it’s safe to do so, you might consider lighting a bonfire! If your area is prone to bushfires, make sure to check when the fire bans are, as in many places they tend to kick in around this time of year. Your practice is never more important than fire safety!
- If a bonfire is unsafe/impractical, lighting a candle indoors can be a nice way to include a fire element - A candle with a wooden wick could provide a satisfying crackling effect! If you have a small cauldron, you could light the candle (or a small ‘bonfire’ in your cauldron, or a similar fire-safe vessel).
- Fairy lights would also be a great way to celebrate light, fire, and warm weather, and they feel very thematically-appropriate! You could even decorate them with (real or fake) flowers/plants, or ribbons!
- Beltane is a popular time for weddings, probably in part due to the pleasant weather, and in part due to the strong fertility themes.
What does Floralia/Beltane mean to you?
I'd love to hear what this festival looks like for you - especially if you've personalised, localised, or otherwise adapted something unique!
For a little more about my own festival (including my ritual script and some of my favourite seasonal recipes), you can check out my Floralia zine!
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*: Southern Hemisphere dates based on Perth, WA (GMT+8); Northern Hemisphere dates based on GMT.
Find the date/time in your timezone.