Bealtaine, or May Day, falls on 1 May and was an important festival in Ireland as it marked the start of summer and was a welcoming festival of flowers, dancing, bonfires and that start of summer hurling.
Many May Day traditions centred on protecting the family, the home, the herd, the churn and the diary yield. Watch the video above to learn more about May Day customs with Clodagh Doyle, Keeper of the Irish Folklife Division at the National Museum of Ireland – Country Life in Co Mayo.
Subscribe or register today to discover more from DonegalLive.ie
Buy the e-paper of the Donegal Democrat, Donegal People's Press, Donegal Post and Inish Times here for instant access to Donegal's premier news titles.
Keep up with the latest news from Donegal with our daily newsletter featuring the most important stories of the day delivered to your inbox every evening at 5pm.