Hey there! Well, it's the first day of May, 2011. The temperatures are slowly warming and the Spring flowers blooming. We call the first day of May, "May Day". But, what is May Day anyway and why do people celebrate the 1st day of May?
The history of May Day celebrations dates back to a time before Christ was born, and was a secular holiday as many of our holidays originated. In fact, it was a pagan holiday celebrated by the Druids of the British Isles way back somewhere around 200 BC. Legend says that it began as an important celebration dividing the year in half, and part of the festival of Beltane. The celebrations included various ceramonies, of which one was the lighting of "new fire" which was supposed to bring good luck for the remainder of the year.
How times have changed! Nowadays we don;t celebrate May Day as such, but many do still make May baskets, and have celebrations around the Maypole. Mostly these celebrations are still popular in Britain and other European countries, but here in America, it tends to be a signal for the "real" beginning of Spring, with the onset of new buds on the trees, Springtime flowers blooming.
To find out more about the history of May Day and other holidays, go to The History of May Day.
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