Today is May Day! Grab a ribbon and dance around the ol' Maypole! Traditionally it's the celebration of winter's end, but on this grey and wet day, I'm not so sure it's really over at all. We've had rain, sleet and snow this week, and the weather fortunetellers aren't sounding too optimistic. But, I love May Day partially because it signals the exact two week mark before my birthday. A birthday that I'm fairly excited about despite it being the big 3-0. What's the big deal about it anyway? The awkward teens are over, your insecure and partied out 20's are behind you, and when you're 30, you have things mostly together, you're secure, confident and it's when things really start to come together! So many exciting things are starting to happen to me and in my life, and I can' help but think experience has a lot to do with that. Besides if I got all upset at this birthday, how the heck am I gonna react to my 40's?? So while I'm not depressed about my birthday, I AM depressed about this weather. When are we gonna get some SUN?
May Day is steeped in many traditions. A primarily pagan celebration to mark the end of winter, christians "sanitized" the holiday after they brought Christianity to the pagans. But now it's sort of an excuse in much of the world not to work. Mostly Europe and Australia. It's become "Worker's Day" or "Labor Day" and celebrations range from Catholic Masses at midnight, to marathons, a drink-fest, a day honoring the monarchy, parades, feasts, and Scotland has a mass midnight skinny dip - which is totally awesome! You can even get lei'd in Hawaii for Lei Day. In France, young men give sprigs of Lily of the Valley to their romantic interests, who accept the flower with a kiss. That's a sort of romantic idea, especially because that flower is the official flower of May. Let's just not bring up that Lily of the Valley is traditionally used in funerals. M-kay?
So while we suckers have to work here in North America, let's not forget our pagan or christian roots, or if you're just looking for an excuse to miss work, drink, feast, kiss, get le'i'd, skinnydip, run around, or dance merrily around a pole - or all of the above - celebrate May Day if only to forget about this crappy weather, and to kick off the countdown to my birthday!
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