PEOPLE, PLACES & EVENTS May Day Traditions

By Sara Henninger

May Day is celebrated around the world on the first of May with many different traditions. Some of the festivities include gathering wildflowers and green branches and weaving together floral garlands that can be used to crown a May Day Queen.

Setting up a maypole with long colored ribbons attached around garlands of flowers while dancing and singing around the maypole may be one of the best childhood memories. For the May Day dance, participants hold onto the ribbon and dance around the maypole, often forming intricate weaving patterns. There are various songs associated with this holiday in America and other countries. One playful American folksong is called All Around the Maypole Dance.

Some other traditions that are celebrated around the world include making spring flower crowns. In Hawaii, May Day is called “Lei Day” where the Hawaiian culture celebrates the spirit of aloha. Traditions differ in various countries including giving flowers to those you love, making May Day Baskets and delivering to friends or family, decorating your home with flowers, planting spring flowers in your yard or garden, flying a kite to celebrate May Day, playing May Day games, and dining on traditional May Day foods. In Sweden, people eat flavored porridge called havregröt. The Czechs make a May Day cake. In the United States, May Day baskets, much like Easter baskets filled with flowers and candy, may be hung on the front door of a residence or given during a May Day picnic.

Casta residents may celebrate May Day with their grandchildren at parks and schools. Here in Orange County, a May Faire Celebration and May Day Parade will take place in historic Old Towne Orange on Saturday, May 6, at 10 a.m. All ages will enjoy a bit of nostalgia seeing the marching bands, drill teams and color guards, and may find themselves singing or humming along with the performers.