Friday, May 01, 2015

May Day

Happy May Day!

Good morning my fellow Rotarians. Happy May Day! For some of you this may be a little known holiday, but not long ago it was widely celebrated in our country.


May Day originated with the Greeks and Romans… based on ancient fertility rituals and agricultural traditions. They honored Flora -- the goddess of springtime. Medieval England created their own version by adding the Maypole decorated with flowers and streamers in the town square, and people danced around the pole with joyful frolic to mark spring's arrival. Today you will still find Maypoles in many European villages and towns.

The themes of "fertility" and "frisky antics" didn’t fly with the Puritans in the US because they thought the holiday was too pagan, so that version of May Day didn’t catch on.

In 1886 May Day become known as a day for protest when workers in Chicago protested and rioted in what became known as the Haymarket Affair. International Workers Day was also born that decade and became a worldwide special day to honor workers. It was the precursor to our US Labor Day. Since then, May Day has become popular day for protests.

The May Day I remember as a young boy was one that was a lot of fun. My mom used to help us prepare May baskets with candy and flowers (actually I think they were re-cycled Easter baskets, but we didn’t care!) Early on the morning of May 1st we would sneak up to the houses of family and friends and leave a basket on their front step with the hope of not being seen or getting caught. It was a great adventure and we loved it, especially when people seemed to not have a clue who might have left them those special gifts.

Years later an aunt told me that she always knew, but didn’t want to spoil it. This was the same lady who broke the news that the Easter Bunny was my dad. That is the May Day of the past, an old tradition that has since faded away in America.

But for us today, we can celebrate coming of spring by proclaiming happy May Day! And that my friends is our Bottom of the News on this Friday, May 1st, 2015.
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