Beltane is the third Sabbat on the Wheel, starting with Imbolc. It is also the last of the Spring fertility festivals. At Imbolc, Winter's hold starts to recede... the snow melts, the early flowers begin peeking up, and many animals begin preparing for mating season. It's a time of hope for future warmth. At Ostara, we can now begin planting our seeds. The days are warming, though the nights may still be chilly. Birds are nesting, and buds begin appearing on the trees. We can fully celebrate the end of Winter and turn our thoughts towards the future.
At Beltane, not only are the days getting warmer, they are markedly longer. Baby animals can be found everywhere, and the trees are in full flower (and full pollen). Crops sewn at Ostara will be seedlings now. Now we can celebrate the fertility of the earth. The symbolism of Beltane is two-fold in this respect. On one level, we're honoring that fertility all around us. On another level, we're using sympathetic magic to encourage our crops to grow and flourish throughout the summer. For these reasons, Beltane is as much of an agricultural folk festival as it is a holy day.
Traditional Beltane celebrations included fire-jumping, dancing the May Pole, outdoor festivals and feasting, rites honoring the Fairy Folk (as the veil is thin towards them here much as the veil is thin towards our deceased at Samhain), and trysts between lovers. I found a wonderful essay at Witchvox with a lot of Beltane facts and lore at http://www.witchvox.com/holidays/beltain... I recommend checking it out. While you're there, be sure to check out their Circles, Events, and Festivals listings at http://www.witchvox.com/vn/vn_index/xeve... to see if there are any cool Beltane festivals in your area. I'll be attending Fairie Festival in Pennsylvania this Beltane with a whole pack of friends (http://www.fairiefestival.net/)
