Happy May Day, Ohio!
By Chris Petry
Today is May 1st, which is the halfway point between the Spring Solstice and the Midsummer Solstice in the Northern Hemisphere. In case you were wondering, yes, you are living in the Northern Hemisphere (nearly 3,000 miles north of the equator).
So, what is May Day exactly? Besides an international distress signal for sinking ships, that is. Well, May Day is a lot of things. As stated above, it was an ancient European festival to mark the midway point between the Spring and Midsummer Solstices. Today, we just call it summer. In the late 19th century, following the Haymarket Riots in Chicago, it was co-opted by international proletariats and is, today, recognized as “International Worker’s Day” in over 96 countries around the globe.
While equatorial summer doesn’t technically begin until June 21st, the ancient peoples that inhabit the North of Europe marked May 1st as the beginning of the summer growing season. Which, makes perfect sense in a pre-industrialized world. The days from that point forward became warmer and longer, enabling the cultivation of various crops that would be harvested, consumed, preserved, and saved for the long winter’s rations.
The Gaelic peoples of Ireland, Scotland and the Isle of Man (an island found about half way between the two with its own distinct but now deceased Gaelic language form, Manx), referred to May Day as The Beltane. The Beltane was one of four observed seasonal festivals, the others being Samhain (the historic precursor to Halloween), Imbolc (the coming of Spring), and Lughnasadh (the kick off to harvest season). On the Beltane, ceremonial rituals were performed to bless and protect the livestock, harvesters and food crops. The day was marked by feasts (making sure to set aside food and wine for the woodland fairies, or “aos si”), visits to holy wells (sacred fountains of youth, purported to protect beauty and vitality), and dances around bonfires. Today, the world’s largest Beltane Festival is held annually in Edinburgh, Scotland.
In Germanic Europe, the day was preceded by Walpurgisnacht, or Walpurgis Night. Every April, 30th, a massive bonfire was lit to ward off pestilence, disease and the forces of evil and was, ironically, celebrated by both Orthodox Christians and witches, albeit with different connotations and practices. Still, it’s perhaps the most ecumenical of Western observances. Walpurgisnacht is, of course, named after Saint Walpurga, a British missionary to Carolingian France.
The earliest May Day festivals were likely celebrated during the Roman Republic era (509 BC to 27 BC). In Sweden and Britannia, common customs include wreathe-making, the consumption of spirits and sweets and dances round’ a Maypole. A flowered crown is often constructed and placed on the head of the chosen “May Queen,” sometimes referred to as the “Summer Queen.” The origins of the Maypole are a little murky but a fair number of historians support the theory that they’re tied to pre-Roman Germanic tree-reverence or worship.
You know what else is built of trees? Homes. It goes without saying, you don’t have to be crowned the May Queen to find your castle this May, 1st. Start your home search now at StoufferRealty.com to plant the seeds of homeownership and watch them grow in real time. No bonfire, sheep-decorating or Maypole dancing required.
