May Day

Maypole

May 1 - May Day

Happy Spring!
"Many of the customs associated with the first day of May may come from the old Roman Floralia, or festival of flowers. These include the gathering of branches and flowers on May Day Eve or early May Day morning, the choosing and crowning of a May Queen, and dancing around a bush, tree, or decorated pole, the maypole. The sports and festivities that are held on this day symbolize the rebirth of nature as well as human fertility."

Bringing in the May - American Folklife Center -- Jennifer Cutting, Folklife Specialist at the Library of Congress, describes and displays some of the folk traditions surrounding May Day (Day 1) and the spring season in Britain and the United States.

International Workers' Day
"In Great Britain, May 1 is Labor Day. More than 50 other countries also celebrate Labor Day in honor of workers on May 1."

Today's news: "May Day Rallies Held Around the World." Tens of thousands of workers are taking to the streets in cities around the world to mark International Workers' Day with marches and calls for higher pay and better working conditions.

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Source: "May Day." Holidays, Festivals, and Celebrations of the World Dictionary. Detroit: Omnigraphics, Inc., 2010. Credo Reference. Web. 01 May 2012. Accessible via the Library's Articles and Databases page.