What does May Day mean to you?
First and foremost, today is the beginning of a brand new month. With all of the blooming trees and flowers, this is a beautiful time of the year and the perfect backdrop for us to set new goals and dream
new dreams.
During ancient times, May Day was known as Beltane...a spring celebration that often included singing, dancing, bonfires, and decorating house doors and pets with yellow ribbons
and flowers.
Historically looking back to the Middle ages, you have probably conjured up images of the May Pole. These poles would come in all sizes and villagers would often compete to
determine whose pole was the tallest. People would dance around these poles. The pole itself symbolized male fertility and the floral wreaths symbolized female fertility.
Thinking back to
the years when my daughter just started pre-school, her school celebrated May Day with the children adding fresh cut flowers to vases and baskets and bringing these beautiful fragrant and colorful blooms house-to-house...to residents who lived near the school.
In Hawaii, May Day is actually considered Lei Day...a celebration of the spirit and the "giving of the flower."
May Day is also known as International Workers Day...a day that recognizes labor rights of the working classes.
Wow...that's a whole lot of meaning for one day
of the year. So, how will you celebrate May Day today? Here are eight ideas to help you make this day beautiful and memorable:
1. Bring fresh flowers into your home and deliver some to a
neighbor as well.
2. Have a May Day picnic with family and/or friends.
3. Create flower crowns or felt flower leis with your kids or grandkids.
4. Host or attend a bon fire. (Keep safety in mind always.)
5. Plant spring flowers in your
garden.
6. Set goals for the season...or make a bucket list.
7. Get your co-workers together to do a volunteer activity for the city, like a park clean-up effort.
8. Make a Celtic recipe, like oat cakes or braised leeks and spring greens.
Have a beautiful day and remember to spread your sunshine far and wide!
