Today is Beltane, the first day of May! Beltane is the ultimate celebration of spring, my favourite season (despite the allergies!). I am overcome with emotions upon seeing trees sprout bright pink cherry blossoms, and watching the park near my house slowly get overtaken by green.

I think it’s extremely important that we take time to mark the changing of the seasons, especially in these oh-so-modern times. It can be easy to feel disconnected from nature when we’re holed up inside all the time, but it’s easy to plug back in again.

That being said, here are 20 fantastic ways to celebrate spring!

Go glamping!
Aka, glamourous camping. Wrangle your lover or best friend, pick a spot among the trees and set up camp for a day or two. Replace your sleeping bag with a fabulous duvet, make gourmet s’mores and tell stories about ghosts dripping in couture!

Watch the sunrise
This is so easy to do, and yet it’s something we don’t always make time for. You don’t have to stay up all night if you no longer have the stamina for those kinds of antics; instead, check your local weather listings for the time of sunrise, and set your alarm a little early. Make yourself a cup of tea, go sit on the roof, and soak up the beauty.

Make a flower crown
What could be more springy than a flower crown on your noggin? Nothin’! They’re very easy to make, too: check out this guide to learn how!

Do a modern fertility ritual
Okay, before you chase me with a pitchfork, this doesn’t have to be about wanting a baby if that’s not your style! A modern fertility ritual can involve thinking about the things you want to come to pass, or anything you want to create. This can be as simple as you like. Even writing it down on a piece of paper and burning it will do the trick!

Paint your room
Why not change up your living space? You could go wild with a newly pink parlour, a robin’s egg blue bathroom, or a fire-engine red front door… Or you could just give your room a fresh lick of white paint. Few things will make you feel better!

Have a picnic
Picnics are wonderful anytime, but especially so in spring. I wrote about how to have a great picnic about a million years ago, and the facts remain the same! Go and sit in some luxurious green grass and snack happily!

Dream underneath the cherry blossoms
This doesn’t need a lot of explanation…

Plant seeds and flowers
Dig your fingers into the earth and feel your spirits sing again. If you don’t have an outside garden, don’t despair! Here are 10 magical indoor plants that make apartment gardening easy.

Write your wishes on paper and tie them to trees or bushes
As Yoko Ono says,

Wishing is more effective than waving flags. It works. It’s magic. Magic is simple. Magic is real.

…I can’t add much more to that!

Fly a kite
I haven’t flown a kite in years, probably since I was a little girl, but I loved doing it. These bird of paradise and jellyfish kites could certainly inspire me to throw a kite up in the air!

Fill your house with flowers
I love to buy tulips, daffodils and pastel-coloured roses in spring. They make our home so much happier. And of course, you get bonus points if they’re flowers you actually grew yourself!

Meditate
Sit outside, get comfortable, close your eyes and get to it. If you’ve never meditated before, Leo wrote a quick guide. Or you could learn transcendental meditation, something I have been meaning to do for too long!

Visit a farmer’s market and buy things that are in season
It’s a great way to get in touch with the seasons and what’s going on around you. The ultimate in spring celebration is eating fresh produce grown in the sun! Plus, farmer’s markets are a delight for the senses, full of fabulous people, scents, sounds and sights.

Go for a hike
The idea of hiking always seemed odd to me, until I saw that Sex And The City episode where this exchange happened…

Jeremy: There are great hiking trails all around here. Maybe later we can do a hike.
Carrie: Oh, I don’t really hike.
Jeremy: Neither do I. But I will fill you in something I discovered. Hiking… is walking.

Hiking is walking! Go for a walk! Preferably up a hill or something… Get some elevation and check things out from a different view. But either way, it’s good to get out there and fill your lungs with fresh air.

Burn incense
Nag Champa is my absolute favourite incense — it’s very popular and extremely easy to find. (You can read a little bit about the history of nag champa here.)

Climb a tree
One of my favourite hobbies, though I must admit I haven’t done a lot of it in NYC. I’m planning on remedying that this weekend!

Honour your ancestors
Spring is also a time to honour the people who went before you. Visit a cemetery, look through old family photos, or simply light a candle and remember those who have passed.

Go Maying
Maying is the practice of staying out late, picking flowers, and meeting wonderful strangers. It all sounds pretty perfect to me!

Make flower tea
Flower tea is so beautiful: I love to watch the unfurling of a blossom in my tea cup! Invite your friends over for a little tea party, and marvel at what an incredible world we live in.

Dance around a maypole!
No one really knows what the symbolism of the maypole truly is, but it’s often associated with fertility and a celebration of spring. Usually, ribbons are woven around it as you stand around the maypole and dance in formation. I actually used to do this in primary school! You may need to do a little research to find a maypole dance in your area, but it would be worth it!

So, are you going to take some time out to celebrate spring this week? Let me know what you get up to!

Flower crowns forever,

Photos by Made U Look!