May Day

[CiberTHuG]

America doesn't really recognize May Day. We don't do anything, no one mentions it. It is just another day. America can be terribly anti-culture.

'Though, we do "celebrate" May 5th (Cinqo de Mayo). I guess that is just so we can get drunk.

What does everyone else do for May Day?

Anyone have any ideas as to the history of May Day? Was it supposed to be the first day of spring? Has the seasons processed and the holiday not? This year, it is (if I have my calendar accurate) on the first day of the 7th week of Spring, so it is about halfway through Spring.

[gaffa]

Could have sworn it was autumn...

- gaffa

[CiberTHuG]

Yeah, I guess a Spring/Summer celebration would be North Hemisphere/Borealis/Cancer-centric.

[BG]

Ok this is why Cinqo de Mayo is more popular

MayDay: May Day is celebrated by dancing and singing around a maypole tied with colorful streamers or ribbons. The dancers twist the streamers around the pole to make a pretty pattern to be enjoyed by all. Children often gather spring flowers, place them in handmade paper May baskets and hang them on the doorknobs of relatives and friends--they ring the doorbells and run away, leaving their flowers as a surprise.

Cinqo de Mayo: Drink a ton of Free Tequilla at the local Mexican Bar. Tequilla drinkers often gather Dog Sheit, place it in a paper bag and leave it on the doorsteps of relatives and friends--they ring the doorbells, light the bag on fire and run away, laughing their arses off.

[JPicasso]

What is May Day about anyway?

I think it's just a holiday because it rhymes.

I like tequilla.

[chrisjk]

Desperados...Beer/Tequilla combo from France; good stuff

[JPicasso]

I hope your Desparados tastes nothing like the
Beer / aguave distillate "Tequiza" over here.
That stuff is nasty... worse than Zima.

[chrisjk]

No idea. But it has french label and stuff as you have to cross the channel to get it.

[CiberTHuG]

Traditionally May Day is supposed to be a Spring celebration. And as with most pagan Spring festivals, sex is encouraged. I just can't figure why the pagans would have a holiday on the Roman calendar, unless it hasn't followed the procession. Now, to the Romans, May Day is part of a celebration to a couple different goddesses, one of whom is the patron of the month, Maia (wife of Mars, who has his own month).

In the modern world, May Day is a Labor Day of sorts. Just not celebrated in America is seems. I don't know if it is celebrated anywhere. Maybe it is a Marxist thing. Maybe it is the reason behind the M1 protests (May 1st). I don't know.

[BG]

Romans started out as pagans so it's ok I think

[markman]

were having a celebration (not allowed to call them parties in our country) in french class because the spanish people are and we dont want to feel left out....

[CiberTHuG]

It looks like France is having May Day rallies today over the next Presidential election.

But France is socialist, so it doesn't rule out the idea that it may only be Marxist.

As to Rome being pagan, technically, yes. I guess what I'm trying to say is, why would the Pagans care about May 1? It doesn't fall the same time durning the solar year, and the pagan societies either have solar or luna calendars.

It is possible that Rome's calendar was solar. It has been changed throughout history (the reason why September-December are no longer the 7-10th months). But the modern Roman (Catholic) calendar does not follow the sun (new year's day is no longer on the solar new year).