May Day

                                                                          May Day

 The ancient Druids, Phoenicians, and Romans wanted Mother Earth to bring forth a fruitful season and drive away evil spirits responsible for the cold, darkness, barrenness, and illness.

 In Rome, the feast of Floralia lasted five days.

The Druids were sun-worshippers; to honor their god, they lit a fire on May 1st. It is called Beltun, which was the Celtic word for May Day. After a second fire was lit, the men and cattle were driven to symbolize good health and fertility. 

The Maypole comes from pagan worship of the mighty tree. The people believed supernatural beings lived in the tree, and as it produced buds, life, and growth were renewed.

Early Britons held that the night before May 1st was a dreadful night of evil spirits which rode through the air. To get rid of the evil, fires were lit around the village. On May 1st, at dawn, carolers left a wreath of green boughs and flowers at each doorstep. The good fairies would then bless the house, and the family would put out bowls of milk as a thank-you to the fairies.

The girls believed if they washed their faces in morning dew in the month of May, they would have beautiful complexions and lose their freckles.

The Maypole was brought into the village by ox cart and decked with flowers. A pretty girl was chosen to be the Queen of the May and sat on a throne. People danced around her, and bells were rung to awaken the soil and to make the seeds and roots come to life. The winding of ribbons around the Maypole came later.

The immigrants from England, Whales, and Ireland brought the idea of May celebrations to our New England. The custom began by decorating small baskets with crepe paper and bows. Fresh flowers and candy filled the baskets, which were hung on doors. The giver would run away after ringing the doorbell.

Native American Indians celebrated spring by dancing around a pole fastened by leather thongs to stand for the sun's rays.

Jingles began in ancient Rome and Greece. Examples are "Come out, dear sun," or "Rain, rain, go to Spain."

In some ancient Danish villages, the whole town would stay in the forest all night playing and gathering greenery on the eve before May Day. On the next day, contests of Nordic games were played to drive away winter, and spring would triumph. Sometimes the games got out of hand, and the contestants entered into hard brutal fighting. What a way to bring in spring. 

Will April showers bring us May flowers? Do you know any upcoming May Day Festivals? I so please share with us.

Easter has different meanings

              A Different Look at Easter Meaning

Christians observe a Sunday known as Easter to remember the resurrection of Jesus, Son of God, from the dead. It signifies that death is conquered. 

But Easter has an earlier meaning. It was once associated with sun-worship. A Norse goddess of life and Spring was Eastre (also called Ostara). A festival was held in her honor every Spring. The month was called "Eastre moneth"(sp) by the Anglo-Saxons. Easter was also called Pasch by the Greeks, similar to the Jewish Passover spring holiday.

A picture of an empty tomb. Wealthy Hebrews still use tombs for family members. 

The egg was a symbol of resurrection or the return of life. Easter eggs were colored to represent flowers that would soon appear. In ancient England, children would sing in the streets and be given hard-boiled eggs. The kids would roll the eggs down a hill. The child whose egg was the last to break would have good luck.

 In Egypt, the hare (bunny) stands for abundant life and fertility of the earth. As hares were born with open eyes, they were sacred to the "Open-eyed" moon. Still in Egypt today, Easter is a date set by the moon's orbit. In old Germany, the hare was sacred to the goddess Eastre and the parents told the children if they were good, the hare would lay eggs for them. An old superstition was that the head of the house divided a colored egg so each family member would get a piece. If any family member got lost, thinking of the family he shared the egg with would make the others think of him, and their thoughts would help him to find his way home.

Celtics said the sun danced on the day of the vernal equinox, which was the original New Year. Some folks in Ireland arise early on Easter morning to view the dance of the sun in a shimmering bowl of water. When Easter was New Year's Day, folks would throw off their old clothes and wear new ones to begin the new year. In northern Europe, wearing old clothes was discourteous to the Scandinavian goddess of Spring. They wore fresh clothes as the goddess Eastre was making the earth bloom. The Easter Parade on Fifth Avenue in New York helps this custom live on. In the early days, the Easter "bonnet" was a wreath of flowers or leaves. The crown stood for the sun's path, which made the return of Spring. The people also believe that wearing three new items would bring good luck.

The date for Easter is the first Sunday after the full moon, which appears on or next to March 21. Easter is observed one week later if the full moon is on that Sunday.  

The Christians' date for Easter was set by the Council of Nice in 325 A.D.   Because of what was determined, Easter varies on our calendar between March 22 and April 25

Glorious Easter to all Christians!

Happy Easter and Happy Spring to all!.