May Day is usually, but not always,
celebrated on the first of May, although in recent years enthusiasm for the
holiday has waned considerably. Many Staten Islanders in New York can recall
festivities in the past several decades which included springtime sports, and
May Poles decorated with bright ribbons streaming from the top of the pole.
Young children were traditionally garbbed the ribbons and danced around the
pole, reveling in the warmth of spring. Older girls crowned a May Queen, and
young girls often made baskets which they filled with flowers and hung on the
doors of their friends. Many parts of the country still participate in these
activities although my borough of Staten Island does not seem to be among them.
The month of May has always been a
favorite month, with spring in full bloom and summer close behind. On the
original Roman calendar, May was the third month of the year but the revised
calendar moved it to the fifth month. The origin of the name, researchers say,
most likely comes from Maia, a mother of Mercury. In Roman times and throughout
history May has been considered an unlucky month for marriages, stemming back
to the days when both the festival of the dead and the festival of the goddess
of chastity were celebrated in May. This may explain the popularity of June
weddings.
Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New
York, has held May Day celebrations with field sports, dancing around the May
Poll and crowning a May Queen with a headdress of fresh flowers. On some
occasions college records in sports were broken on that day, possibly due to
the enthusiasm for the holiday. The California State Norma School in San José
originated May Day festivities in 1902, with games for their kindergarten
students. By 1910, the popularity of this holiday had grown to such proportion
that 6000 spectators gathered to watch the celebration.
These observances have little to do
with the ritualistic and symbolic fetes of olden days. Historians of folk
customs have traced the May Day ritual back to the Floralia of the Romans, the
festival of Flora, goddess of flowers. This festival was instituted in 238 BC and
was celebrated from April 23 until May 3rd.
During the four or five centuries
that Rome occupied Britain, the May Day Festival was introduced and flourished.
One theory states that the May Day was initially a phallic festival in India
and Egypt, marking the renewal of the fertility of nature at springtime. Researchers
claim that the Romans considered the May Poll to be a phallic symbol, and their
merrymaking included quite a few licentious acts which were the focus of May Day
celebrations in England for some time.
The Morris Dance was a pagan dance
which consisted of male dancers in fantastic costumes dancing about the May
Poll. The name Morris, a word of Moorish origin, is associated with mummers,
who acted out the ritual of the pagan god who celebrated his revival after
death. Another custom was the May Day procession of a Man-horse, in Cornwall,
where the central figure, "Oss Oss”, was a witch doctor disguised as a
horse and wearing a mask. Dancers acted as attendants, sang May Day songs and
beat on drums.
These activities greatly offended the
Puritans, who coerced the Parliament of 1644 to ban the erection of May Polls.
The Restoration repealed the prohibition, and in 1661, to celebrate the revival
of the old custom, a May Poll, 134 feet high was raised. Sir Isaac Newton
purchased the pole in 1717 and used it as a support for his telescope in Essex.
The New England Puritans also voiced
objections to May Day festivities, which incited Gov. Endicott of Massachusetts
in 1660, to lead a group of men to Merrymont, where the dreaded May Poll had
been erected. The men chopped the pole down and named the place Mount Dragon,
after the Idol of the Philistines that fell before the Ark.
May Day was said to have magical rites,
such as those of Halloween. Samuel Pepys, the English diarist, related how his
wife went to the country each May Day to wash her face in dew, a magic ritual
ensuring a good complexion. Poetess Ann May Lawler, put the custom to verse: “Ever
on the first of May did magic walk — the legends say. Maiden rose at early dawn
to find a dew-ensequinned lawn, and she who humbly bathed her face in dewdrops,
in the magic place, she, they say, may never fear the curse of freckles for one
year."
When Labor Day was established in
this country, the workers of Europe decided to hold a similar celebration,
which they observed on May 1st. Due to lively labor politics, the date became
better known for riots, bombings and burned cities. Radicals in the U.S.
followed the European example and held demonstrations on May 1st. Later many U.S.
cities, particularly New York City, demonstrated on May Day with parades of
radical, labor, and other organizations, followed by mass meetings.
The beginning of May, whether
celebrated with May Polls and flower festivals, or labor demonstrations, or no
celebrations at all, introduces a month with few surprises. While March “comes
in like a lion and goes out like a lamb," and April teases with balmy
weather one day and pseudo-winter the next, the month of May brings a stable
promise of ever better days to come.
What a refreshing post, Micki, thanks. I love dancing the May Pole but it has been about 6 years since my last! Time to dance!
ReplyDeleteVery interesting information there Micki! Thank you for taking the time to do the research on this. I hope that you have a splendid May! Hugs!
ReplyDeleteHappy May! I didn't know all of the information you provided about this beautiful month, so thank you.I have been loving all of the blossoming/budding trees as I take my walks. A wonderful month!
ReplyDeleteHappy spring and happy May to you Micki!! I loved reading this post! It's cute and it made me spring-smile. If I weren't already in love, I had to fall in love now. LOL
ReplyDeleteSending a hug your way!!
Micki, it delighted me to find such a lot of interesting information in a wonderfully written article. Being an alien to May celebrations except through very boring history books, I can say I've had the best May lesson in my life. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteThanks, Martha, it's been a whole lot longer since I danced aroung a Maypole.
ReplyDeleteLove,Micki
Hi Deirdre, so glad you liked it--when are you going get a blog up--I miss them.
Love, Micki
Hey Raani, so happy you liked it and even happier to see you in love!!
Love, Micki
Hello Marta, I didn't realize you don't celebrate may day where you live since Cinci De mayo is so popular. I 'm glad you enjoyed the legends and lores.
Love, Micki