#|
Violence erupts amongst police officers and protestors who ignored a government ban on marching in Istanbul, Turkey to Taksim Square. May Day is marked with rich celebrations of culture and folklore throughout history, welcoming the return of spring!
There are many fun traditions that have persisted over time, like creating delightful little baskets with sweets and flowers. Celebrating spring also includes singing and dancing around a maypole, mostly at schools.
This tradition is still alive in some schools, and children decorate the pole with colorful ribbons and other items. Spring flowers are picked and gifted to loved ones, and although all these traditions have become lesser-known today, they are still cherished and enjoyed by many.
Labor Day was created as a way to distance itself from what happened on May 1 of Today, people celebrate Labor Day every year. Spring is believed to be a time when fertility is high amongst men and women because of the temperature change in weather and the feeling of celebration.
There are so many ways to celebrate May Day, big and small! Today, people celebrate May Day by making flower crowns and baskets, planting flowers for the spring, decorating their homes in bright colors to embrace the change, nature walks, picnics, and enjoying the outdoors!
Celts used to dance around trees with bright ribbons as a way to welcome in good crops and fertility. Today, schools celebrate the Maypole Dance through spring festivals. On May Day, people in Britain welcome spring by getting flowering trees for their homes.
This symbolizes the return of spring. Today, May Day is very popular! It is known as an official holiday in 66 countries and unofficially celebrated in more countries. May 1 is one of the four cross-quartered days, midday between an equinox and solstice. What a time to celebrate! May Day is known as Lei Day in Hawaii. May Day is connected to the festival of Floralia to honor spring.
Floralia was the goddess of springtime in Rome. Historians believe the first maypole dance originated as part of a fertility ritual, where the pole symbolized male fertility and baskets and wreaths symbolized female fertility.
The maypole never really took root in America, where May Day celebrations were discouraged by the Puritans. But other forms of celebrations did find their way to the New World. During the 19th and 20th centuries, May Basket Day was celebrated across the country, where baskets were created with flowers, candies and other treats and hung on the doors of friends, neighbors and loved ones on May 1.
The connection between May Day and labor rights began in the United States. During the 19th century, at the height of the Industrial Revolution , thousands of men, women and children were dying every year from poor working conditions and long hours.
On May 1, , more than , workers 40, in Chicago alone from 13, business walked out of their jobs across the country. In the following days, more workers joined and the number of strikers grew to almost , Overall, the protests were peaceful, but that all changed on May 3 where Chicago police and workers clashed at the McCormick Reaper Works.
The next day a rally was planned at Haymarket Square to protest the killing and wounding of several workers by the police. The speaker, August Spies , was winding down when a group of officers arrived to disperse the crowd. As the police advanced, an individual who was never identified threw a bomb into their ranks.
Chaos ensued, and at least seven police officers and eight civilians died as a result of the violence that day. The Haymarket Riot , also known as the Haymarket Affair, set off a national wave of repression. In August , eight men labeled as anarchists were convicted in a sensational and controversial trial despite there being no solid evidence linking the defendants to the bombing.
By hindustantimes. Know about the history and significance of May Day: Labour Day has its origins in the labour union movement in the United States in the 19th Century. Get our Daily News Capsule Subscribe. Thank you for subscribing to our Daily News Capsule newsletter. Whatsapp Twitter Facebook Linkedin. Sign Up. Edit Profile. Children would dance around the Maypole holding onto colorful ribbons. Such rites originally may have been intended to ensure fertility for crops and, by extension, for livestock and humans, but in most cases this significance was gradually lost, so that the practices survived largely as popular festivities.
This one is easy to remember: May Day occurs annually on May 1! See which day of the week May Day falls in coming years:. Did you ever dance around the Maypole as a child? Wrapping a Maypole with colorful ribbons is a joyous tradition that still exists in some schools and communities. The strict Puritans of New England considered the celebrations of May Day to be licentious and pagan, so they forbade its observance, and the springtime holiday never became an important part of American culture as it was in many European countries.
Interestingly, from the late 19th century through the s, the Maypole dance and festivities became a rite of spring at some U. Seen as a wholesome tradition, this celebration often included class plays, Scottish dancing, Morris dancing, a cappella concerts, and cultural dancing and music displays. In the s and s, interest waned; the May Queen and her court became more of a popularity contest.
Today, the Maypole dance is mainly celebrated in schools from elementary though college as a fun spring activity. Ever heard of the May baskets? This tradition was popular through the 19th and 20th centuries, especially with children or sweethearts. If the recipient caught the giver, he or she was entitled to a kiss. To make a simple May basket, fold a piece of colored paper into the shape of a cone.
Then fill with wildflowers! Draw on the plate with spring colors and fill with flowers! You could also fill a real basket with little gifts such as flower seed packets, baked cookies, candies, and pretty trinkets.
Just cover in colored paper or pretty streamers and fill with tissue paper! First lady Grace Coolidge receives a May basket from young children. Credit: Library of Congress. Why not celebrate May Day? Here are some joyful May Day traditions marking the return of spring and the renewed gift of life.
Credit: Suzanne Tucker. So, now you know all about May Day! Growing up we always did really nice May baskets for nearly all of the neighbors in our small community, as they did for us. All were anonymous. Just as your article states. But when we moved to Chicago the tradition was just. We got up so excited - we were always excited for May Day, and nothing was on the porch, and so we dropped off the few May baskets we had already put together, but it was a sad day.
We never did it again after that. At least in my family. I remember in grade school a girl from our class came to our house and left a may basket and knocked on the door and yelled mayday and then she ran. I don't remember if I tried to catch her and kiss her or not. I should have if I didn't Fun days in the 40s and 50s growing up in a small farm town in Saybrook Ill. Lots of fun traditions. I was blessed to be able to choose her birthday because I had a c-section and I chose this day because of my wonderful memories of May baskets growing up.
My mother made May baskets out of tissue paper, put a paper cupcake liner in the bottom and braided a handle with the paper and tied it after she gathered the basket at the top. When you held it up it looked lacy.
0コメント