I foraged stinging nettle, hawthorn flower and leaves, and elderflower in Beltane, 2025.
I enjoyed herb tea and some other recipes.
-Stinging nettle: Making tincture to reduce symptoms of hayfever for my children.
-Elderflower: Making elderflower honey and elderflower cordial.
-Hawthorn flower: I used some for topping my salad. It was pretty.
Beltane is 立夏（Likka) in Japan.
立夏 means beginning of summer and it is between May 5 and 20.
Also May 5 is Children’s day. We celebrate to wish for children to grow healthy and happy on that day.
We traditionally eat “Chimaki” or “Kashiwa-mochi” which are rolled with some kinds of leaves. We normally don’t eat those leaves.
*meaning of the letters
立：stand, start
夏：summer