Between Spring And Summer | Filed under General
What where you doing this weekend, hmmm don’t tell me let me guess I know you were busy celebrating. Oh you don’t need a reason to celebrate, no most people don’t these days but did you know throughout history, humankind has celebrated the transition from season to season. The festival of May Day takes place on May 1 at the halfway point between the beginning of spring and the start of summer and originated in ancient times as a celebration of fertility, life, sexuality, and nature’s renewal. Can you imagine that as a reason to celebrate, of course you can, wait a minute Karen get your mind out of the gutter—you to Walker, Monica what was that you said, yes you the good one, Deni you did what, when no not you….you . Let me get back to this story .
Still observed by many people today, May Day has many colorful and unique customs associated with it and is intimately bound to the Gaelic and pagan fire festival of Beltane. Both celebratory rites take place on the same day and are believed to have originated from the ancient Roman feast of Floralia, which honored Flora, the goddess of spring and flowers, as she returned to the earth to bring the fields back to life with her touch. (Could this Goddess be Jude the Hippy Chick?)
Traditionally, May Day celebrations began on April 30, when men and women spent the whole night in the woods where they would dance and play games. On the morning of May 1, they would emerge carrying freshly budded green boughs and flowers that were in bloom. A tree was felled and resurrected as the May Pole around which young people would twine ribbons in the hope of becoming entwined with a new love. Houses were decorated with freshly cut foliage to attract the blessings of earth spirits that were said to walk the land on the first of May. A May King and May Queen were chosen to represent fertility gods and goddesses. Beltane, while also a festival of fertility and sensuality, remains primarily a festival of fire. The Beltane bonfire fire not only blesses the coming season, but also invites luck into one’s life. Jumping over a Beltane fire, walking between two fires, or burning sacred wood and dried herbs in a fire guarantees an auspicious season. Often, people would put o! ut their fires and rekindle their hearth using a flame taken from the bonfire.
Both May Day and Beltane can be observed to celebrate the return of passion and vitality that we feel as the weather grows warmer and the world grows greener. You can celebrate these festivals by decorating your home with flowers, blessing your garden, or filling baskets with fresh produce and giving them to loved ones. Each festival represents a wonderful opportunity to mark the end of winter’s darkness and ruminate on what the light-filled days of the coming months may bring.
What fun this sounds, now that I’m tired from all my activities I need some flowers, some fresh produce and I got a lot of passion. How about you …….and your thoughts are?
May 1st, 2006 at 4:42 pm
You are right, who needs a holiday to celebrate! Life is all we need. Thanks for the lesson on May Day!
May 1st, 2006 at 5:45 pm
It is interesting to learn some of the background of holidays we enjoy. You also found a neat way to integrate links to friends blogs. What fun! Our thoughts really do turn to outside activities when the sun rises higher in the sky. Soon it will be warm enough to go skinny dipping.
May 1st, 2006 at 6:04 pm
Very neat history. We’re in the midst of plantiing around our patio so next yaer May Day will be very festive and colorful.
Still, I like the idea of more passion this time of year! I’ll have to mention it to the Wife.
May 1st, 2006 at 6:08 pm
I would be lost without my mind in the gutter! I would be lonely without your mind around too.
Boy, you and Monica are picking on me today when I’ve been good…all weekend… wait, thinking back…yup, I behaved. LOL
Happy May Day!! May you get the best out of what today represents. *snicker*
May 1st, 2006 at 6:50 pm
Very interesting!!!!!!!!! Thanks!!!!!
May 1st, 2006 at 6:57 pm
Happy May Day my wonderful friend!!!
May 1st, 2006 at 9:35 pm
Hi Vicki, I remember as a little girl we would dance around the May pole. It is a nice tradition. I also fondly remember every year the May day parade, and the carnival would set up in town too. I have great memories of Mayday. Cheers,
May 1st, 2006 at 9:37 pm
Flora sounds a lot like Persephone…ahhhh a rose by any other name
nice post
happy May Day
May your life be filled with glorious flowers.
May 1st, 2006 at 9:48 pm
I forgot all about May Day but it had a different meaning for me - it was the day Russia paraded all their military might out for the world to see. Guess that comes from the military background. I would much rather think about sex. LOL.
Hope you are doing well.
May 1st, 2006 at 10:30 pm
I’m still laughing at Karen’s first sentence. Happy May Day!
May 2nd, 2006 at 12:01 am
Is that like pole dancing? Or am I on the wrong page?
Great post Vickie! I am a more learned person now.
May 2nd, 2006 at 12:31 am
Happy May Day to you as well!
Thank you for the history lesson.
May 2nd, 2006 at 5:45 am
Great Post.
I dont know as we celebrate it up here but we are open to celebrate anything.
It was nice hearing how other people, cultures celebrate the start of spring.
BTW my mind is not in the gutter.
That’s to far down.
Happy May Day
May 2nd, 2006 at 6:17 am
I like the basket of flowers tradition of May Day. Never heard of it until we moved to the Midwest though. ~ jb///
May 2nd, 2006 at 6:52 am
Happy May Day 2U as well, I’m sure you celebrated it just fine.
Cheers.
May 2nd, 2006 at 7:50 am
well may 1 is my anniversary day so i feel good about the day and i was unaware of a lot you told me and others. thanks for the information miss vickie. i have been down south now since 1969 and i love the name miss vickie. it sounds so southern. your name sounds like it should be with the movie, gone with the wind and your mansion should be on tara with scarlett .i can picture you with a hoop skirt and parasol.
have a great day miss vickie. i will talk to you soon. thanks for dropping by my blog.
May 2nd, 2006 at 1:08 pm
Hi Vickie ~~ Interesting look at May Day, thanks for sharing this.
I feel we should celebrate every day,
and not just holidays. We live in an
amazing world and life is good.
I did not buy Vegemite, but I have some!!
Take care Vickie. Cheers, Merle.
May 2nd, 2006 at 1:14 pm
Yep, I am the *cough* good one. ROTF
I think the only one who really got to celebrate Mayday around here was Noodles, yep, she escaped and came back with a big Tom. Guess we will be expecting some kittens.
I hope you had a wonderful day.
*wink*
May 2nd, 2006 at 1:16 pm
Thank you for the comment, I always enjoy our chats too - and thank you for putting most of my fears to rest about our friend and what she’s going through.
I love you too - and for all you are. I can always depend on you to listen, for wonderful advice, and laughter.
May 2nd, 2006 at 8:44 pm
Hey girl, I played golf on may day but I did think aboutm it! Spring is my time of the year! Yahoo!!!!
May 4th, 2006 at 7:16 pm
I miss the old days when the kids were all small. On May day we made May baskets and filled them with candy and the kids had fun taking them to their friends homes. They went after dark, would knock on their door and then run and hide while they watched to see the faces of whoever answered the door. Other kids did the same thing to our home. Each Basket had the persons name that it was for and one went to every child living in those households. many of their Cousins also exchanged baskets.
After the kids were all older with families of their own, one of my Daughters made a basket for an older neighbor Lady and had her kids take it up to her door. The Lady was so surprised and had such a warm happy smile on her face when she saw the basket for her. My Daughter felt she wanted to give back to the Lady who had helped make many of the baskets given to my kids from hers. Wonderful old memories. Thanks for reminding me of those great times.