The Celtic Realm

The May Queen comes out for a fiery night of parading and dancing in Edinburgh, Scotland, on the eve of Beltane, the ancient Celtic festival that heralds the start of summer on May 1. Before the night is over, the queen will take the Green Man, following close behind her, as her consort, a symbolic act of fertility—and a signal for the partying to begin. Along the Atlantic shores of Europe, from Scotland down to Spain, modern Celts are conducting a scavenger hunt of the past, discovering festivals, music, sacred sites, languages, and art styles that go back more than 2,000 years, when Celtic tribes dominated most of Europe. From these scraps emerges a fresh, high-spirited identity—call it Celtitude—that is making itself seen and heard on Europe's edge.