Calan Mai

It marks the beginning of summer and traditionally it involved festivities around bonfires, maypoles, and carol singing.

Traditionally, bonfires (coelcerth) were lit at Calan Mai in parts of Wales.

Nine men would gather branches of nine different trees, remove all metal, then light the fire by friction between wood.

[2] The Scottish Highlands had very similar May Day (Beltane) bonfire customs, and historian Ronald Hutton suggests they were all survivals of a tradition that was once more widespread.

[3] Small groups of young men went about singing May carols (carolau Mai) or summer carols (carolau haf) at Calan Mai, and were rewarded with food and drink.