It's May Day and here is a bit of it's history!
May Day was once, in its earliest days of glory, quite a celebrated date. It was marked by plenty of dancing, singing, and merriment. This holiday was often symbolized by the colorful new growth of spring. It was an early tradition for the youngsters of Europe to carry fresh flowers and boughs and to visit neighborhood houses. They would sing songs that commemorated the arrival of springtime too. People typically decorated their homes
with fresh flowers, green leaves, and tree branches. And, May Poles were a common sight on this holiday. Some considered the poles to represent the "tree of life." They were erected in the town squares in order to mark the presence of spring as well as the coming of summer when all of the trees, flowers, and crops would be growing heartily in the light of the golden sunshine. The May Poles were usually trees that had been cut down in the forests. The branches were removed, and the trees were then carried into town. Brightly colored ribbons were then attached to the tops of the trees. The youngsters took turns grabbing a ribbon and dancing around the poles as part of their May Day celebration. Some cultures believed that the winding of the ribbons around the May Poles was an attempt at helping Nature remain in balance after the long, cold winter, and continue its plush green growth cycle. The youngsters would wind the ribbons together in a colorful pattern. The youngsters also held an annual election in which they selected a May Day King and Queen who were then supposed tp preside over the
days events.
Help yourself to these lovely images-my gift to you for May Day!
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6 comments:
Howdy
Happy May Day to you :)
This was a truly beautiful post .
Thank you so much for sharing this rich history with us today.
May you have the best Month of May ever !
Until next time
Happy Trails
Happy May Day!
Congrat's on your newest Grandbaby.
Warmly,
Deb :)
Isn't it a full of great tradition!
Happy May Day!
Hugs,Lisa
What a fun read. When I was little my mom would help my sister and I make our baskets and fill them with flowers from her garden and we would take them to the elderly people on our block. I loved this day.
hugs
Hi Debbi
I haven't been to your blog in a very long time....I loved reading about May Day as it is a dau, growing up in Omaha, NE. that we always took part in....my Mom was a professional artist and oh the fun we had making baskets and filling them with lilacs, lily of the valley, violets. I thought it was exciting to run and leave them on the door knobs and run away quickly. Of course, it was always fun to collect those that were left for us!
Hugs,
Jil
Congrat's on your newest Grandbaby.
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