May Day

Photo by Paul Barnett

May Day is an ancient spring festival celebration in the Northern Hemisphere. It often included singing, dancing, and eating special foods like cake. The Roman Empire even held such celebrations, and German and Gaelic events came a little later. In fact, some sort of spring celebration can be found in many of the European nations.

May Queen - photo by Charles Rispin

Dancing around a May pole and crowning a May queen are traditional activities for May Day celebrations. Small May baskets filled with treats and anonymously left on doorsteps used to be popular but faded from vogue more quickly than the other two. The Catholic Church chose May 1st as a day to celebrate Mary and later Mary and Joseph, so the date also became a saint's day to celebrate.

Photo by Kevin Gordon

Although May Day celebrations came across the ocean with the colonists, they haven't had the same impact or continued in the same way in America as in Europe. Many of the villages in Britain have kept the traditions alive for a long time, and May Day festivals have had renewed interest in recent years. It is certainly a part of European and American history, so happy May Day, everyone!

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