Happy May Day!
Modern-day May Day blends multiple cultural and historical traditions…
image credit: Porter School Memphis 1950
image credit: Collierley School Dipton UK
Traditional ‘maypole’ dances are associated with the
seasonal branch of May Day’s heritage and these
festivities remain popular, especially in Europe.
Beltaine, a Celtic celebration of rebirth and the
turning of the seasons, typically falls on or about May 1.
Beltaine’s celebrations mark joyful gratitude
for the onset of fertility and the growing season.
Animals can be turned out to pasture, flowers bloom,
and creative power stirs throughout the world.
image credit: foundsf.org
In the United States, May Day took another twist
in the late nineteenth century.
According to the Industrial Workers of the World,
“On May 1, 1886, more than 300,000 workers
in 13,000 businesses across the United States
walked off their jobs in the first May Day
celebration in history.”
Click here for an eye-opening historical perspective.
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