Art Deco

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Beltane
May 1st
Retold by Lin DonnIllustrated by Phillip Martin
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May Day is an ancient holiday. But nobody knows
who invented it. It's that old.
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Some people believe the ancient Romans "invented"
the May Pole to honor their gods.  
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To honor the deities of new life and flowers,
legend suggests the ancient Romans cut down a
tree, decorated it with ribbons, then danced
around it. This was the beginning of the May
Pole.
It could be true. It would certainly be in
character!
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For all the ancient cultures, the coming of
summer was cause for celebration. It meant food
could be gathered and seeds could be planted. 
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As part of their celebration, some ancient people
gathered flowers and put them on window ledges to
keep out pesky fairies.
Others filled baskets with gifts and greenery to
give to friends and loved ones.
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The ancient Celts built bonfires, with nine
different types of wood, then leaped over the
flames for luck. In the Bavarian regions of
Germany, people played tricks on each other!
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Yet, for all its appearance of merriment, for
most ancient cultures, May Day was a very serious
celebration. Many rituals were designed, not to
thank, but to please and to appease the gods.
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It would not be until the autumn festivals, when
the crops were safely harvested, that these
ancient people would heave a sigh of relief.
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Today, May Day is celebrated as a workers
holiday, a day off from work with pay in just
about every country in the world except for the
United States. 
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The United States does not recognize May Day as a
federal holiday. In the United States workers are
honored on Labor Day, which occurs each year on
the first Monday in September.
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