May Day: Celebration of Spring

For many May Day is a political holiday also known as International Workers' Day . But it is also a celebration of spring and of the coming of summer. Many various modern May 1 festivities go back to a small set of ancient pagan festivals.

The beginning of May is an important moment in the astronomical calendar: it marks the end of the winter half of the year in the Northern hemisphere. The days steadily grow longer, the trees and flowers come into bloom as all of nature awakens, and the cattle can be led out to pasture again. So it is not surprising that this was a time of celebration for agricultural cultures. Indeed, there are many similarities across the traditions, such as the centrality of plants, fire, and fertility.

The tradition that has most influenced our present May Day celebrations is the ancient Celtic tradition, and in particular the Gaelic festival of Beltaine or Beltane, which means "the return of the sun". It is the second lunar festival on the Celtic Wheel, marking the beginning of the agricultural summer season.

In Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Mann, "May Boughs" were hung above the doors and windows, and May Bushes (blooming branches of mountain ash and whitethorn) were erected. On the eve of May Day, great bonfires were lit on mountain tops and in special places. Cattle as well as people would pass between the fires as a rite of purification and fertility. Also other Celtic cultures in Wales, Brittany and Cornwall welcomed summer with such festivals.

Much of this still survives in recognizable form today: the May Queen is crowned and there is dancing around the Maypole all over England. The Wiccan love festival of Beltane is directly related to the Gaelic Beltaine.

May 1 was also the midpoint of the Floralia, the five-day-long Roman festival for Flora, the Goddess of Flowers. Instated in 238 B.C., it was a time for the Ludi Florales: public games, theatre, and merrymaking. The celebrants wore garlands of fresh flowers in their hair and around their neck, animals were set free and beans were scattered around to welcome fertility.

On the European mainland, in Germany, Sweden, Finland, Estonia and Latvia, the night of April 30 is still celebrated as Walpurgis Night. This too is a derivation of an ancient spring festival of fertility, featuring bonfires, the gathering and wearing of branches, song and cheer.

Related articles:

International Workers' Day

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