Wednesday, May 1, 2013

May Day


Do you celebrate May Day? Odds are that you or someone you know does. It’s all about enjoying springtime and the coming summer days ahead.

The first of May means many things to different people. In Celtic culture it’s Beltane, which kicks off the warmer time of year and the fertility rites (think Mists of Avalon). In England people dance around the maypole, and in Russia crowds celebrate with a parade. Other parts of the world use May Day as a time to protest any grievances they may have, and today in places throughout the third world they’re doing just that.  

So how do you plan to celebrate the first of May today? Hang out with friends or maybe read some Arthurian May Day-oriented literature? Perhaps you’ll start your own May Day tradition?  


24 comments:

  1. I'm celebrating with the IWSG - does that count?

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  2. It wasn't freezing cold today (it snowed this morning) then I would be out enjoying the sunshine. Stupid Utah weather. :)

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  3. As soon as I read your post I had to run to YouTube and check out that song "The Lusty Month of May" from "Camelot". I wish it was warmer here today. lol

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  4. Ha! I almost posted the same pic. I don't know why, but I love May Day. My mom always made us celebrate it by making May baskets and sharing them with neighbors. Geeky but fun. :)

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  5. Many moons ago, I used to belong to a Medieval group that put on Renaissance Fairs and things, and your May pic really reminds me of those times. Yeah, I was also a giant nerd D&D-er. Don't judge me! lol

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  6. Well I celebrated this first day of May by watching huge, fulffy flakes of snow fall. Spring doesn't exist in the mountains! ;)

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  7. In England there are many festivals to celebrate this time of year. Our local town celebrates next week. I am posting more about it at the weekend so check out my blog then if you want to find out about what we get up to here. Happy May Day!

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  8. My town has a great May Fair on the first Saturday of May. I always look forward to it!

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  9. *snort* we're just happy not to have snow today. :D

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  10. I've never really celebrated May Day but I enjoy spring flowers and sunshine! Susan

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  11. First day of May brought a huge snow storm here in CO...so I spent the day bundled up. :) No spring celebrations here...not yet any way

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  12. Like Alex, I too am celebrating with the IWSG :)

    How have you been? Will email you later in the day.

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  13. We had a lovely Beltane, and performed a ritual with some mini-Maypole wishing. Yes, we are Pagan, so it's a big day for us. :)

    I do miss having a large coven gathering with a full-sized Maypole. Hoping to get back into that once we move back to the U.S. in a month or two!

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  14. What Rebecca said. My Mayday was spent snowed in, so it was hardly a day to celebrate spring with winter still insisting, "screw you."

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  15. The way that LA celebrates May Day is to have workers parade down the streets yelling about how they have been mistreated.

    www.modernworld4.blogspot.com

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  16. Hi Mark, The first day of May brings back memories of schooldays, and yes, we danced around the maypole! I celebrated Mayday with a blog post last year.
    Happy May

    ~Emily
    The French Hutch

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  17. I hadn't really thought about celebrating May Day. It was a beautiful day, though.

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  18. I remember having to do a dance around a may pole once for some performance at school and I didn't understand it being a celebration of Spring, when in Australia we were in the middle of Autumn ;)

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  19. Funny how varied people's experiences and reactions to May Day are. I'm glad to see so many folks celebrating it though:)

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  20. My celebration of May day was really about making it through the A to Z! This is a bittersweet month for me, but won't go into all that here. Just wanted to come by and visit and thank you for visiting my blog and leaving a comment. Did I get enough "ands" in there? See you next month on IWSG!

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  21. I like to pretend I'm Hawaiian, so I celebrate LEI Day.

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  23. I guess I don't celebrate May Day, unless saying "Thank the maker that it's not Winter anymore" counts as celebration? :)

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