Happy May Day! But wait: isn’t May Day the same as Labour Day and International Workers’ Day, celebrated on May 1st? Well, not really.
Originally —and for hundreds and hundreds of years— the celebrations at the beginning of May had nothing to do with workers, their achievements, or their struggles. Rather, they were how different cultures across the British islands and Europe observed the change of seasons. Whether it was the Roman Floralia or the Celtic Beltane, these occassions were characterised by flowers, feasts, dances and bonfires.
The Catholic church tried to turn these festivities into celebrations of the Virgin Mary. Nowadays, they still dedicate the month of May to her. The mix of traditions has made a few rituals disappear, like for example leaving a basket with flowers as an anonymous present to a neighbour, while others persist, for example the folk dances around the Maypole.
In July 1889, the International Social Congress passed a resolution calling for an worldwide demonstration in favour of the eight-hour working day. This took place on May 1st of the following year, which led to that day being named International Workers’ Day. Some countries, like Russia, also called it May Day, and that’s where the mix up comes from.
While International Workers’ Day is always observed on May 1st, the UK celebrates May Day with the early May bank holiday, which happens during the first Monday of May. That means that this year, it is today! So now, with that little context, let me wish you a beautiful summer full of achievements and joy.
To make the mood shine as much as the sun these days, now that the weather has warmed up, here I leave you with my Caribbean Folk Medley:
