Did You Celebrate May Day?
May 02, 2012
When someone asks what your favorite holiday in May is, don’t we usually think immediately of Memorial Day? Who doesn’t like a day off for the unofficial beginning of summer? Mother’s Day probably pops into your head too, since you don’t want to forget a special, flower-filled card for mom. But, what about May Day?
Admittedly, May Day is not the most prominent holiday in America by a long shot, but it’s a day with a lot of international history, some of which might be surprising. Before the birth of Christ, the Druids celebrated the festival of Beltane on May 1st. As their second most important holiday, May Day was thought to be the beginning of the second half of the year, and the custom was to set new fires, which represented the springtime sun. Once the Romans entered the picture, they combined the Druid traditions with that of Floralia, a celebration in honor of Flora, the goddess of flowers.
So, between the gathering of wood for setting new fires to honor the sun and decorating with Flora’s flowers, the modern day maypole custom was created. The maypole, or may tree, was wrapped with spring flowers, such as violets, and was the center of the spring festivities. It still is.
Who knew there was so much history behind May Day?
Colbern Road Branch