I almost missed May Day, the first day of a glorious month. I didn’t notice much in the way of traditional celebration around New York. You don’t see much in the way of May Poles, with young people dancing around with ribbons. It’s rare to see May Baskets, posies placed in paper cones and hung anonymously on door knobs. We focused more on the Occupy movement activists who chose this day to protest. After all, it was also International Worker’s Day, historically a popular day for standing up to create change.

 

May is a time of change. Leaves unfold, flowers bloom, and the days grow longer and lighter. Fertility is rampant. People seem to fall in love more easily in the spring. Back in the day, it was associated with Beltane, the Celtic observation and meaning “brilliant fire.” Festivals and celebrations often included bon fires. Folks danced and sang. They wound ribbons around the May Pole. They gathered flowers to drop on door steps. Scandinavians still come out to party on May Day, emerging from their long, dark winters into the light summer days.

 

In some cultures, May 1 used to be the first day of summer. I think this is a great idea, extending summer by a month. It might be a bit chilly in the evenings, but the thought of a long, glorious summer makes me smile. It’s a time for all of us to come out of our cocoons. It’s a time to breathe some fresh air, take long walks, enjoy the new growth around us and inwardly.

 

Maybe you missed celebrating May Day, but I encourage you to dance anyway. Sing when you can. Try and enjoy every moment of sunshine, the bright green, new leaves, the warm sun on your skin. Fall in love with all the life around you. And if you feel the urge, its never too late to put a few blooms in a paper cone and leave it on someone’s doorstep!

 

Did you celebrate May Day? Do you feel yourself waking up to the life around you? Please share your thoughts- they make a difference for all of us!