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Happy May Day!

Posted by Admin on May 1st, 2010 filed in Uncategorized

Short history lesson?

maypoleMay festivals have historically been a time of “wearing of the green.” May is a time during which we, in the Northern Hemisphere,  celebrate a renewal of life. May is named for Maia, the Goddess of death and fertility.

The May pole may be the most familiar icon of May festivities. In some cultures, the May-pole represents the hub of the wheel of heaven. Anciently, the well-known dance of weaving cords around the May pole was an attempt to direct nature back in order. In modern times the dance is performed in the hopes of weaving magic.

Traditional May Day is actually a solar festival that is celebrated on May fifth. Why May 5th? Because it is halfway between spring equinox and summer solstice.

May Day has been celebrated for millennia throughout a variety of cultures. It may be one of the oldest religious festivals kept in the Northern Hemisphere. Modern May Day festivals often touch on the ancient practices without even recognizing or realizing their significance.

The roots of May Day celebration in America…it has never held a high place on most Americans’ calendars – not like the Brits, at least. The tradition of celebrating May Day by dancing and singing around a maypole (decorated with colorful streamers) has survived as a part of the English tradition. Additionally, the hanging of May baskets on doorknobs is also a leftover of old European tradition.

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