Retold by Lin DonnIllustrated by Phillip Martin

BeltaneMay 1st

May Day is an ancient holiday. But nobody knows who invented it. It's that old.

Some people believe the ancient Romans "invented" the May Pole to honor their gods.  

To honor the deities of new life and flowers, legend suggests the ancient Romans cut down a tree, decorated it with ribbons, then danced around it. This was the beginning of the May Pole. It could be true. It would certainly be in character!

For all the ancient cultures, the coming of summer was cause for celebration. It meant food could be gathered and seeds could be planted. 

As part of their celebration, some ancient people gathered flowers and put them on window ledges to keep out pesky fairies.

Others filled baskets with gifts and greenery to give to friends and loved ones.

The ancient Celts built bonfires, with nine different types of wood, then leaped over the flames for luck.

In the Bavarian regions of Germany, people played tricks on each other!

Yet, for all its appearance of merriment, for most ancient cultures, May Day was a very serious celebration. Many rituals were designed, not to thank, but to please and to appease the gods.

It would not be until the autumn festivals, when the crops were safely harvested, that these ancient people would heave a sigh of relief.

Today, May Day is celebrated as a workers holiday, a day off from work with pay in just about every country in the world except for the United States. 

The United States does not recognize May Day as a federal holiday. In the United States workers are honored on Labor Day, which occurs each year on the first Monday in September.

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