My, there are an enormous number of celebrations that claim the first day of the fifth month as their own. Right now, of course, we’ve got the rallies in support of illegal immigrants. But that’s only the latest entry.
For lots of people around the world this is International Workers Day which started as a commemoration of the Haymarket Riots which took place not far from where I’m sitting.
Wizbang has a collection of links relating the rallies to IWD.
I would be remiss if I didn’t mention that Catallarchy is conducting a remembrance day for all those who’ve been murdered by governments claiming socialism as their cause. Keep scrolling for lots and lots of good posts.
Long before there were socialists the day was devoted to a number of different Christian celebrations including holidays dedicated to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and Roodmas.
Christians, of course, knew a good thing when they saw it, because those Christian celebrations had themselves been coopted from a variety of earlier pagan feasts. In England there was the May Queen and the Green Man (who became Maid Marian and Friar Tuck in the Robin Hood legends) and there was the great Celtic feast of Beltane. I’m surprised that Jeff at Caerdroia hasn’t mentioned it.
On this subject, its worth noting that May Day in some latin american countries is a national holiday (Dia del Trabajo). The patron saint for workers is San Jose Obrero (Saint Joseph the Worker), and if you should drive around on that day it is not uncommon to find decorated crucifixes at construction sites in his honor.
Ironically, while Americans and Europeans often associate May Day with Soviet-style communism, many Latin Americans are more likely to end up going to a special mass on May Day – precisely the opposite of communism.
It goes without saying that I believe that the rumored communist overtones of the boycott today are hogwash and poppycock. In case anyone was wondering. 🙂
Jeff of Caerdroia has been having a series of major life events recently, and is a bit out of the spirit of Beltane, sadly. I also missed Ostara because of the packing and working-out-of-town efforts. It’s been a poor ritual year, so far, since Solstice.
That said, I’ve been thinking about starting up a series on the Wiccan ritual year, and this is probably about as good a day as any. Check back later.
A fellow Chicagoaine! Outstanding! You must have heard the protests from your perch.