May Day!
May is here! Did you celebrate May Day (May 1st) by rubbing your face with morning dew for good luck? Dropping a basket of flowers on the doorstep of a friend? Dancing around a maypole?
May Day celebrations have evolved over thousands of years, and for some, the observances continue today.
May Day (considered to be the half-way point between spring and summer) began as an agricultural celebration, a day to cheer the sprouting of the crops. Bonfires were lit, and houses and livestock were decorated with yellow May flowers. Traditions changed as time passed, but May Day continues to be an ode to all thing spring! As a romance writer, I always love to see the romantic side of things, and May Day doesn’t disappoint.
When you were a child, you might remember dancing around a maypole, with its colorful ribbons, but did you know that this tradition dates back to the Ancient Celts? They would dance around a living tree, praying for fertility of crops and of all living things. The maypole was also a place of courtship, and if a young couple found themselves paired by sundown on the day, they would continue to get to know each other and, if all went well, they would marry six weeks later, on June’s Midsummer’s Day. Ever wonder how the tradition of June weddings began? You can thank the tradition of the maypole.
The maypole eventually evolved to be just that—a pole—and they were considered a symbol of fertility. In the Middle Ages, towns would compete to have the biggest and best maypole. (Pole size definitely mattered there.) Maypoles are still included in May Day celebrations to this day (although I don’t imagine there are a lot of maypole courtships any longer).
Other modern observances of May Day include the still-observed May basket, a tradition where neighbors leave baskets of flowers (and occasionally goodies) on the doorsteps of their neighbors. At one time there was a custom where one would leave a basket on your sweetheart’s doorstep, knock on the door, yell “May basket,” and run. If the recipient caught up, he or she would be entitled to a kiss. (I imagine most gift givers didn’t really try to outrun their gift recipient.)
Have you ever celebrated May Day? Danced around a maypole? Left a May basket for a neighbor or a sweetheart? Washed your face with morning dew? Do you live in Hawaii and observe the day as Lei Day? I would love to know about any traditions you have!