2024 Life Logs, Day 122: Happy First Day of May
Date: Wednesday, May 1, 2024
Weather: Rain Early, Mostly Cloudy; High Temp 53, Low 45 degrees F
Location: At Home on Lakeview Avenue, Falmouth, MA
May 1st is almost over, so I have started the countdown to May 13 when I have my right knee replacement surgery. I can’t say I look forward to the surgery, but I honestly can’t wait. For the past two weeks, my right knee has gotten progressively more painful with each day. If I didn’t have a good brace, I would be walking very little. But with the help of the brace, I am still getting around. It just comes at the cost of pain, especially in the evenings when I am tired. Eleven days to go!
When I wrote the title of this log, I asked myself, “What is May Day?” I have visions of children dancing around a maypole, but I realized I had no idea why. So, I Googled May Day and here is what I found.
“In the United States, the holiday was first celebrated in 1886, as part of the struggle for the eight-hour workday. On May 1st of that year, hundreds of thousands of workers across the country went on strike, demanding better working conditions and shorter working hours.” Hmmm. Some things never change.
“In other parts of the world, the holiday has a different history. In Europe, for example, it finds its roots in pagan traditions, particularly the celebration of Beltane, a Gaelic festival marking the beginning of summer. In Germany, the day is known as Maifeiertag and is celebrated with dancing, singing and the raising of maypoles. In Finland and Sweden, May Day is celebrated with picnics and outdoor activities, while in the United Kingdom, the celebration includes Morris dancing and other traditional folk customs.”
So happy first day of May, whatever it might mean to you.
