Celebrate May Day!

Today is May Day which is usually celebrated on May 1st or the first Monday in May. The holiday dates back to Roman Republic times. Celebrations include dancing and singing. The most common modern celebration is dancing around the maypole. It is a holiday to celebrate the beginning of spring, but more recently has also become about labor. In the 19th century May Day was chosen as the day to celebrate international workers.

In the United States, May Day celebrations vary by region. They usually celebrate spring and labor during the festivities. In Minneapolis there is a May Day Parade and Festival that brings 50,000 people on the first Sunday in May. On May 1st in Minneapolis, local Morris Dance sides meet at the Mississippi River at dawn and dance for the rest of the day. In Hawaii, May Day is known as Lei Day and is a day to celebrate island life and culture. It was first celebrated in 1927 in Honolulu and celebrations include the traditional holiday song “May Day is Lei Day in Hawai’i”.

You can celebrate May Day too. One tradition that has not been as popular recently that we can bring back is giving May baskets. These are small baskets of candies and flowers left anonymously for others. Another tradition we can do is crowning the May Queen with a flower crown. You can give May baskets to your family and crown one person as the May Queen. We can all use some fun in quarantine, so celebrate May Day today.