May Day. The tradition before Labour Day

 May Day 

The tradition before Labour Day

During the Middle Ages, Western Europeans celebrated what was called the return of the spring. The origins are unknown, but there were probably inspired from ancient agricultural rituals in Greece and Rome. The practices varied widely, but the celebrations included the gathering of windflowers and green branches, the weaving of floral garlands, the crowning of a May king and queen, and setting up of a decorated May tree, or Maypole.

People dancing around a Maypole

These rituals had the purpose of ensuring fertility for crops, livestock and even humans. There were some interesting superstitions associated with May Day, such as washing the face with dew on the morning of May 1st would beautify the skin. However, many Christian groups criticized this festival. Puritans of New England, for example, labelled this celebrations as pagan. As a result, they forbade them. Moreover, after the rise in popularity of the Labour Day, May Day lost its popular support.