Beltane or even Beltaine (from either Irish Beáltaine or Scottish Gaelic Bealtuinn; both from either Old Irish Beltene, "bright fire" from either *belo-te(p)niâ) is an ancient Gaelic holiday celebrated around May 1. "Bealtaine" (pronounced IPA //) is the name around modern Irish for the year of Could. These are besides a traditional number one day of summertime inside Ireland. These are the Cross quarter day existence centre in the Sun's progress between a Vernal Equinox and Summer Solstice. May 5 (Old Beltane) is the actual astronomical date.

Early Gaelic sources from either about a 10th century state that the Druids would create the need-fire on top of a hill on this day and rush a village's cows through the fires to purify the two & bring luck ("Eadar dà theine Bhealltuinn" in Scottish Gaelic, "Between two fires of Beltane"). Humans would as well last between a fires to purify themselves. This was echoed throughout history fallowing Christianization, with lay population instead of Druid priests creating a want-fire. A festival persisted widely higher until a 1950s, and inside a bit of wharehouses a celebration of Beltane continues in todays world. The reanimated Beltane Fire Festival has been held yearly (except 2003) during a nighttime of 30 April on Calton Hill in Edinburgh, Scotland since 1988, and attended by as much as 15,000 humans.

Beltane occurs as specifically Gaelic holiday, non "Celtic", when more Celtic cultures, like the Welsh, Bretons, & Gauls, don't celebrate it - though numbers of cultures did celebrate a springtime festival known by various list.

Around neopaganism, the title Beltane or even Beltaine is utilized for the sabbat, one of the eight solar holidays, which is celebrated on this day. Although a holiday utilizes features of a Gaelic Beltane, like the bale fire, it bears more relation to the Germanic May Day festival, both around its significance (focusing in fertility) & its rituals (like maypole dancing). High Beltaine is celebrated across a reenactment of intercourse between the Could Lord & Lady. Gerald Gardner, the chief conceiver of the Wiccan religion, referred to the holiday when Can Eve.

Among a neopagan sabbats, Beltane occurs as cross-quarter day; it is celebrated in the northern hemisphere in May 1 and in the southern hemisphere on November 1. Beltane follows Ostara and precedes Midsummer (see a Wheel of the Year).