May Day in the US doesn’t have all the same traditions that it does in Commonwealth countries and across Europe, but is still is celebrated by many as a welcome to spring and summer. But, the holiday has a varied history in different countries that show how holidays can evolve over time.
In many countries across Europe and the UK May Day is a continuation of much older celebrations intended to celebrate the coming of summer. Typically these events would involve the whole community and would take place on May 1st. Events like dancing the May Pole became iconic to these festivals. Women and girls dressed in flowers, pretty gowns or dresses, and sometimes wearing flower crowns have emerged in many a May Day celebration.
In addition there was lots of eating, drinking, music, and games at these events. Some speculate that the commonality of May Day parties is due to the timing. May 1st is about halfway between the spring and summer equinoxes, making it a time to celebrate the young flowers already in bloom and the warmer weather to come. May Day is considered the beginning of summer in some areas, marking the beginning of the Midsummer season and longer days. These European traditions overlap, making the exact origins difficult to decipher.
In Celtic traditions May Day is called Beltane and in Welsh areas it’s known as Calan Mai. The ancient Roman festival of Floralia to celebrate the goddess Flora (responsible for flowers), held in late April until early May, is also thought to be an early form of May Day.
With so many traditions of mid-spring celebrations it’s no wonder that a single, agreed-upon date came to dominate the calendar, seemingly uniting European countries in this shared bank holiday. Immigrants to the US from Europe brought some of their May Day traditions with them, complete with treats, games, songs, and May Poles.
In Celtic traditions a bonfire is lit at night on May 1st to purify the spirit. In Sweden May Day is a national holiday, but the night before (Walpurgis Night) is celebrated with big bonfires to say goodbye to cold weather and is known as “the last of April”.
Other traditions involve characters that only come out for May Day. Jack in the Green is a character that emerged in the 1600s in England, a figure disguised in greenery who parades through the center of town on May Day accompanied by milk maids, Morris Dancers, flower girls, and other members of the community.
In many countries across the world May Day also has a connotation not unlike Labor Day, honoring the workers who fought for worker’s rights at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries. It’s celebrated as International Workers’ Day in many places.
In the US events like the Haymarket Riots in 1886, the Pullman Strike of 1894, and the Triangle Shirtwaist Fire in 1911 cemented the need for worker protections in the minds of many working class people. At that time things like weekends, worker safety, time off, and a 40-hour work week were largely unheard of, with many workers laboring long hours in dangerous conditions with little time off.
The creation of Labor Day in the US largely supplanted the workers’ rights aspect of May Day for Americans, but in many other countries across the world May 1 is not only a day of local festivities and traditions, but a day to honor those who demanded better working conditions.
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