May Day - Or Not

Today I was going to write about May Day. Here I was, all excited to write about flowers and may poles. I was really looking forward to my Google search on the subject.

Then, I found this at Wiki: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May_Day

Here is an excerpt:

International Workers' Day (a name used interchangeably with May Day) is the commemoration of the Haymarket Riot of 1886 in Chicago, Illinois, and a celebration of the social and economic achievements of the international labor movement. The 1 May date is used because in 1884 the Federation of Organized Trades and Labor Unions, inspired by labor's 1872 success in Canada, demanded an eight-hour workday in the United States to come in effect as of May 1, 1886. This resulted in a general strike and the riot in Chicago of 1886, but eventually also in the official sanction of the eight-hour workday. The May Day Riots of 1894 and May Day Riots of 1919 occurred subsequently.

“The May Day Riots” of 1894 and 1919? I have this vision of people dancing in the street demanding to be afforded the time to celebrate spring. Truth of the matter is, this “International Workers’ Day” overshadows my May Day with its serious message of labor fairness. I feel compelled to cease referring to May 1st as May Day.

Before reading this, I had my head wrapped around the traditional vision of May Day. You know: flower garland, may poles, dancing, crowning a May Queen, etc. Additionally, I vaguely remember making a May Day flower basket when I was a kid. You are supposed to leave it on someone’s doorstep, ring the bell and run. Doesn’t that sound fun? Putting together a basket lined in fresh flowers for the purpose of just surprising someone with a gift of nature? I mean, so far in my head, May Day rocks! Of course now I have come to realize that my version of May Day is so outdated that the Wiki entry about May Day refers the reader to “Beltane”, a pagan festival, to explain all of the dancing and flower flinging.

Now I can just ask my neighbors, “Say, do you celebrate the pagan holiday of Beltane? Care to build a may pole?” Rather than, “Hey, it’s May Day! Any of you want to picket Wal-Mart?”

Not that the core values behind May Day should be ignored. Did you know that we have Labor Day because of May Day? Did you know that the above referenced riots resulted in this nation’s eight hour workday being put into practice? Did you know that the United States stopped officially celebrating May Day when the Soviet Union jumped on board? That’s right. Wiki says: “The Red Scare period ended May Day as a mass holiday in the United States….”

And today, this 2006 May Day, you may have already noticed that our nation’s population of immigrant workers is demonstrating today. And if it is International Workers’ Day, then they should, by gosh. Not to throw any further wrenches into their efforts, but our current Commander in Chief has tried to co-opt this day by making it "Patriotism Day". I hope that doesn’t ruin the plans of all of the illegal workers that have walked out of work today. Tough to demonstrate your patriotism, I suppose, when you are living in a country illegally.

Although I find it tough to reconcile my version of May Day with the historical definition of it, I can honestly say that the Hawaiians have it down. Today is known to them as Lei Day.

So, put some flowers in your hair, dance around a maypole while chanting “workers rights, management bites”, wave a U.S. flag, and look for a lei. After having done so, you will have had the most well rounded May Day on record.

Happy May Day, everyone!