At the heart of Awakenings are historical accounts that embrace the past, empower the present and enrich the future. Even though the first day of May has already come and gone and with it the celebration of May Day, this day is shrouded in poignant history. Heartfelt thanks are extended to author Micki Peluso who has graciously accepted my invitation to share one of her articles on Awakenings.
Take it away, Micki...
By Micki Peluso
May Day is usually, but not always,
celebrated on the first of May, although in recent years enthusiasm for the
holiday has waned considerably. Many Staten Islanders in New York can recall
festivities in the past several decades which included springtime sports, and
Maypoles decorated with bright ribbons streaming from the top of the pole.
Young children danced around the
pole which was traditionally garbed in ribbons and reveled in the warmth of spring. Older girls crowned a May Queen, and
young girls often made baskets which they filled with flowers and hung on the
doors of their friends. Many parts of the country still participate in these
activities although my borough of Staten Island does not seem to be among them.
Source: en.wikipedia.org |
The month of May has always been a
favorite month, with spring in full bloom and summer close behind. On the
original Roman calendar, May was the third month of the year but the revised
calendar moved it to the fifth month. The origin of the name, researchers say,
most likely comes from Maia, a mother of Mercury. In Roman times and throughout
history, May has been considered an unlucky month for marriages, stemming back
to the days when both the festival of the dead and the festival of the goddess
of chastity were celebrated in May. This may explain the popularity of June
weddings.
Source: Google Images |
Vassar College in Poughkeepsie, New
York, has held May Day celebrations with field sports, dancing around the Maypole and crowning a May Queen with a headdress of fresh flowers. On some
occasions college records in sports were broken on that day, possibly due to
the enthusiasm for the holiday. The California State Normal School in San José
originated May Day festivities in 1902, with games for their kindergarten
students. By 1910, the popularity of this holiday had grown to such proportion
that 6000 spectators gathered to watch the celebration.
Statue of Matthew Vassar surrounded by the splendor of a Hudson Valley spring |
These observances have little to do
with the ritualistic and symbolic fetes of olden days. Historians of folk
customs have traced the May Day ritual back to the Floralia of the Romans, the
festival of Flora, goddess of flowers. This festival was instituted in 238 BC and
was celebrated from April 23 until May 3rd.
Triumph of Flora by Tiepolo (ca. 1743), a scene based on Ovid's description of the Floralia |
During the four or five centuries
that Rome occupied Britain, the May Day Festival was introduced and flourished.
One theory states that the May Day was initially a phallic festival in India
and Egypt, marking the renewal of the fertility of nature at springtime. Researchers
claim that the Romans considered the Maypole to be a phallic symbol, and their
merrymaking included quite a few licentious acts which were the focus of May Day
celebrations in England for some time.
British Life & Culture by Mandy Barrow |
The Morris Dance was a pagan dance
which consisted of male dancers in fantastic costumes dancing about the Maypole. The name Morris, a word of Moorish origin, is associated with mummers,
who acted out the ritual of the pagan god who celebrated his revival after
death. Another custom was the May Day procession of a Man-horse, in Cornwall,
where the central figure, "Oss Oss”, was a witch doctor disguised as a
horse and wearing a mask. Dancers acted as attendants, sang May Day songs and
beat on drums.
Morris dancing on May Day in Oxford, England, in 2004. |
These activities greatly offended the
Puritans, who coerced the Parliament of 1644 to ban the erection of Maypoles.
The Restoration repealed the prohibition, and in 1661, to celebrate the revival
of the old custom, a Maypole, 143 feet high was raised. Sir Isaac Newton
purchased the pole in 1717 and used it as a support for his telescope in Essex.
Interesting Fact
|
The tallest maypole is said to
have been erected in London on the Strand in 1661; it stood over 143 feet
high. It was felled in 1717, when it was used by Isaac Newton to support
Huygen's new reflecting telescope.
|
The New England Puritans also voiced
objections to May Day festivities, which incited Gov. Endicott of Massachusettsin 1660, to lead a group of men to Merrymount (Merry Mount), where the dreaded Maypole had
been erected. The men chopped the pole down and named the place Mount Dragon,
after the Idol of the Philistines that fell before the Ark.
May Day was said to have magical rites,
such as those of Halloween. Samuel Pepys, the English diarist, related how his
wife went to the country each May Day to wash her face in dew, a magic ritual
ensuring a good complexion. Poetess Ann May Lawler, put the custom to verse:
“Ever on the first of May did magic walk — the legends say. Maiden rose at early dawn to find a dew-ensequinned lawn, and she who humbly bathed her face in dewdrops, in the magic place, she, they say, may never fear the curse of freckles for one year."
When Labor Day was established in
this country, the workers of Europe decided to hold a similar celebration,
which they observed on May 1st. Due to lively labor politics, the date became
better known for riots, bombings and burned cities. Radicals in the U.S.
followed the European example and held demonstrations on May 1st. Later many U.S.
cities, particularly New York City, demonstrated on May Day with parades of
radical, labor, and other organizations, followed by mass meetings.
Socialists in Union Square, N.Y.C. on May 1st 1912 |
The beginning of May, whether
celebrated with Maypoles and flower festivals, or labor demonstrations, or no
celebrations at all, introduces a month with few surprises. While March “comes
in like a lion and goes out like a lamb," and April teases with balmy
weather one day and pseudo-winter the next, the month of May brings a stable
promise of ever better days to come.
Dear Sharla, what a nice surprise awaited me when I got on my computer tonight. I had no idea you were going to do this superb job of making my little aricle shine!!Thanks you so much for posting and enhabcing the legend and lore of May Day on your outstanding blog.
ReplyDeleteMuch love, Micki
Your article is endowed with so much wonderful history that is a perfect fit for Awakenings. Also, another great way to promote your wonderful book! Hugs, my friend!
DeleteThis was fascinating. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteOur oldest son did some maypole dancing and Morris dancing in elementary school in England. It was great fun watching them.
Thank you for visiting, Sheila, but most of all for leaving comments about your son's experiences. Glad you enjoyed Micki's historical account of the month of May.
DeleteThanks, Sheila, it was Sharla's great pictures that brought my wrtig to life. Glad you liked it.
ReplyDeleteMicki