Do you regard May Day as a celebration of the Labour movement? Although it is thought of this way in Britain and Australia, it, in fact, originated as an ancient festival, celebrating the beginning of Spring, the most beautiful season in Europe.
This festival was held to honour Flora, the Roman goddess of flowering plants. Instituted in 238B.C. it included such rituals as carrying trees, green branches or garlands in procession, the appointment of a May King and a May Queen and dancing around a Maypole. The Maypole was originally an ancient fertility symbol, consisting of a tall pole with long ribbon streamers. This was the centrepiece of the pagan spring festivals.
May Day was a joyous festival. The coming of spring after the long, hard European winter was a time of happiness.
The ancient rites were designed to bring fertility to the crops and therefore to the cattle and humans.
A widespread superstition, probably originating from these pagan times, is that washing the face in May Day morning dew will beautify the skin.
May Day became a labour celebration after it was designated international labour day by the International Socialist Congress of 1889. It became a major holiday in the Soviet Union and other Communist countries.
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