About 10,000 years ago, the North of Europe was covered with ice, when the ice melted, the first immigrations to the British Isles started and tribes coming from Galia and Belgium got to Scotland. Almost in the year 1,000 BC, the Celts were one of the most important civilizations in Europe. They were organized in tribes and their language was changing regionally, they were farmers, they worked the metals like the bronze and practiced the Druidism.

The Celts chose their own Chiefs. Their religion was based on the adoration of the three elements of nature ( The Sun, Water and Earth); they created a Mythology that consisted of the thanking to the fruits of nature, that Mythology gave birth to several festivals that celebrated the seasons of the year.

Decorative Elements:

They wore metal rings around the neck which symbolized authority; they had lots of Celtic Knots. They drew animals but not human beings. The circle is the supreme Celtic Symbol and represents the Sun, the life source. In the V century when Christianity came to Scotland, the Celtic circle and the Cross were put together, therefore the Celtic Cross was created.

Around 500 BC, the Celtic Culture was well established in Scotland. The Picts or Caledonians, called like that by the Romans because they tattooed their bodies and painted their faces of a dark blue colour before going to war, occupied the North of Scotland and in the South of what it is today Edinburgh and Glasgow, were The British Tribes.

The Romans could not occupy the area of Edinburgh and Glasgow so they built Antonina Wall to divide the territory that they could not control, that is to say, the Caledonians’ territory. The famous Adrian Wall in the North of England was the Northern boundary of the Roman Territory.

Mythology:

Europe has two holy rivers. The Avon and The Seine. The Roman City of Bath in England was known as “Aqua Sulis” and was the favourite pilgrimage place. It was called Aqua Sulis in honour of the Celtic Goddess who had the same name; in the Roman Mythology, she was known as Sulis Minerva.

Festivals

Celts celebrated the different seasons. The celebration was full of songs, dance, food, drinks and joy.

The Celtic day started at dusk, which was the moment when the family got together. Midday was the peak of the day. Festivals were not celebrated on fixed dates, they took into account a mid point between the start of the seasons

Samhain:  April 30 It shows the beginning of the Celtic Year. It is the mid point between Autumn and Winter. Samhain is the day the spirits of the dead come to visit their relatives; according to Celtic Mythology, the soul never dies.  

When Christianity came to Scotland, the samhain date became All Souls’ Day.

In samhain, the Spirits welcome was celebrated putting lots of food and drinks on the table; obviously, the following day the food was untouched but according to custom and tradition it was given to the poor.

In samhain it was believed that the spirits would commit evil deeds if food and drink was not put on the table. Bonfires were always lit up at the top of the hills. The fire is always present.

In 1988, The Celtic Tradition was reinstated in Edinburgh with the recreation of the festivals Beltane: Almost 15,000 people go to these festivals which take place at Carlton Hill.

There are people dressed in different styles, among them is the Green Man, who represents the beginning and ending of the seasons. In many churches in Great Britain, the image of the Green Man is present even in churches built after Christianity.

In samhain, The Green Man dies and is born again in Beltane. During samhain potatoes and/or turnips were carved with a face shape and a candle was put inside because the fire guided the spirits back to their homes. They carved a face because in the Celtic Mythology, the Soul was in the head.

The typical dishes in samhain were: Soups with 9 different vegetables; apples (symbolized immortality) and nuts ( symbolized Wisdom).

Imbolc: This word in Gaelic means Sheep Milk. It is the middle point between Winter and Spring. That is to say, it is the moment the land is ready for the harvest and animals begin to suckle.

The Mythological Figure of Imbolc is the Goddess Brigitte  (her name means abundance). In Imbolc people place three candles on their windows and they start making plans for the future. You should look at Brigitte’s fire and think positively about the things you want for the New Year. The three candles symbolized the Holy Trinity, a concept that was well known and broadly accepted in Scotland when Christianity was introduced.

The typical dishes in Imbolc were: dairy products, bread and oats.  White and yellow flowers were used as ornaments. eg. With some vegetable leaves, dolls that represented Brigitte, were made. Clothes are tied up to trees or fences to be blessed. Family got together around the fireplace and wells were blessed as well as pots where food was cooked. 

Beltane: It is celebrated around October 31 in the Southern Hemisphere. The Celtic Year is divided in two halves, one that goes from samhain to Beltane (the darker one) Winter and the other one that goes from Beltane to samhain ( that marks the beginning of the light).  Therefore, Beltane is the beginning of the light.

Animals are ornamented with flowers, women wore flowers on their heads, people wore masks during the dances. The typical tree is the willow ( believed to cure old age people and help women to give birth). samhaing and pasture start.  During the Beltane games, animals are carried along among the fire that is a way of blessing them. In Beltane the Green Man reappears.

Lugnasad: It is celebrated on February 1 and the word comes from Lug (The Sun God in the Celtic Mythology). It is the moment the light of the Summer defeats the darkness of Winter. Generally,

People meet with friends to celebrate their prosperity and wealth, they sing and recite.

The symbolic tree is the holly tree (used to make tools, weapons and shields).

Edward MacRae