Post #36 Secret Origins of Labour Day [May Day] Part 1
[Origins of Easter] Refer to post #18 # 19A # 19B #20
What is May Day and why is it celebrated?
Historian Helen Carr explores the history of May Day, which has Roman origins and was once a pagan celebration. She reveals how, through history, this celebration of spring has been deeply connected to the earth’s enduring cycle of birth, life and death.
In the UK, May Day is sometimes associated with the bank holiday weekend in the same month. This was initiated by Michael Foot. to coincide with International Labour Day. However, the roots of May Day go back thousands of years.
May Day probably has Roman origins, emerging from the festival Floralia, which was a celebration of fertility and nature that took place around early May and was dedicated to the goddess Flora. However, it is also believed that May Day has roots in the Celtic festival Beltane.
[excerpts from article]
