Tag: Rebirth (page 1 of 1)

Participants Engaging in the Spiritual Festivities of May Day

May 7, 2019 / 0 Comments

The Origins and History of May Day

The historical roots of May Day can be traced back to Ancient Greek and Roman times when festivals and rituals were conducted in celebration of the arrival of the spring season and in honor of the Roman goddess Flora and the Greek god Dionysus. Both figures are symbols of fertility and nature, with Flora associated with vegetation and flowers and Dionysus with the grape-harvest and winemaking (Gillan 2019). While both ancient empires started the tradition of performing rituals and making offerings to the gods to receive the blessings of a bounteous harvest, it is Gaelic culture which is often credited with introducing the modern celebrations and traditions of May Day. Since the 10th century, the festival of Beltane is held on May 1 to mark the halfway point between the spring equinox and the approaching summer solstice. Traditional celebrations involved the blessing of cattle, crops, and people with the kindling of symbolic bonfires to receive the perceived protective powers of the smoke and ash for good luck for the upcoming summer pasture and harvest. Large feasts were common as people and cattle were decorated with colorful flowers and ribbons and would occasionally leap over the fires to appease mythical fairies—aos sí—from harming the farmers and their cattle (“Beltane” 2016).

Beltane Fire Festival in Edinburgh, Scotland

Furthermore, Pagans developed a strong connection with Beltane and May Day by hosting similar festivals involving fire, incense, drums, costumes, and dancing to celebrate the blossoming of nature and unrestricted sexuality. The celebration of May Day continued to gain prominence amongst Pagans and other individuals throughout the 14th and 15th centuries in Germany, England, and other European countries as new traditions and rites were included such as the crowning of a May Queen and dancing around a maypole. The crowning of a May Queen involved the selection of a young girl to symbolize purity and commence the festivities of the day. Maypole dancing consisted of a large wooden pole decorated with hanging colorful ribbons being planted in the ground either near or in the woods for people to dance around to symbolize nature and the lengthening days of summer (“May Day” 2018). Celebrations of fertility, the arrival of spring, and rituals for positive blessings for the approaching harvest continued until around the 16th century when such festivities were deemed immoral.

Maypole Dancing with a May Queen Seated in the Center

The 16th century saw the expansion of the Puritans and Protestantism throughout England and Western Europe as people sought to place greater emphasis on moral and religious purity and devotion. Paganism and May Day celebrations were one of the numerous victims that were condemned and banned from being practiced as these were considered idolatry, immoral, and demonic. As a result, the prevalence and practice of May Day traditions significantly declined as anyone who desired to continue to celebrate the holiday had to do so in secret and on a smaller scale. One intriguing custom that began was the weaving of baskets, filling them with flowers and gifts, and anonymously leaving them on the doorsteps of friends and loved ones as a sign of good fortune and pleasant weather. This custom was selectively practiced in different areas but gained prominence in the 19th and 20th centuries as an elegant and romantic tradition known as May Basket Day (Weeks 2015).

As society shifted away from strict religion and morality in the late 18th century, May Day celebrations and maypoles reemerged into public practice but without the same level of renown as some people lost interest in the holiday. Today, numerous Pagans, Wiccans, and a considerable number of Christians and secularists observe the holiday as a symbol of the arrival of spring, the rebirth of the mind and spirit, and the desire of a great harvest both in the United States and in Europe.

A May Day Basket/Bouquet for a Loved One

May 7, 2019 / 1 Comment

Relation to Immigration and the Present Day

Traditional May Day festivities in the United States are a unique blend of Pagan and European tradition transferred from immigrants and continually observed to embrace familial and community bonds. In the 19^th century and early 20^th century, particular Christian and Pagan immigrant communities held large celebrations involving maypole dancing, music, and feasts as a way for the older generation to stay connected with their family’s culture and to instill these customs into the hearts and minds of their children to carry on the tradition. May Day events would attract immense crowds of children and adults alike in the continuance of the theme of welcoming the arrival of spring and emphasizing the rebirth of people’s lives and spirits. For most of the 1900s, large, crowded May Day festivals would occur at Prospect Park in Brooklyn, New York and most participants would wear white clothing to symbolize the purity of the event (Vries 2017). Today, observances of May Day are more local and personalized for individuals and communities, regardless of any religious context. While organized parades and festivals still occur in towns and cities throughout the country like in Minneapolis, the holiday has come to have individualized significance for those who observe it either in the context of spring and the approaching harvest or in the symbolism of revivification.

Children Dressed in Traditional White Outfits Circle Around Maypoles in Prospect Park in 1919

We were able to interview Pamela, a first-generation Cuban immigrant, and a self-proclaimed Wiccan. She stated she engages in a customary ritual in observance of May Day every year to celebrate the beautiful essence of spring and nature, and to reflect on the rebirth of her family’s lives from immigrating from Cuba to the United States due to the Cuban communist revolution and regime of Fidel Castro. She explained, “When my family swiftly decided to flee Cuba in hopes of attaining security and freedom in America, we had very little money and resources and didn’t know anyone. Essentially, we had to be reborn to start new lives, and we are incredibly fortunate for how everything has panned out so far for our children and us.” Pamela further elaborated she was a Christian for all of her childhood but became a Wiccan when she was in her 20s because of the “controversial politics of the church” and the appealing beliefs of Wicca. Pamela stated she usually lights incense and goes around the house to cleanse the air of any negative energy, and she engages in a ritualistic effort of planting and decorating new flowers in her garden to give thanks to Mother Nature. Furthermore, she celebrates the holiday with her young daughter with the hope that she will continue the tradition of being grateful for living in the United States and giving back to nature.

A Wiccan Altar

Throughout New York City, while the observance of the holiday has lost prominence over recent decades, May Day still has a significant traditional foothold on the residents. The Pagan traditions and customs of the holiday and the contemporary labor aspects of International Workers’ Day are usually merged to emphasize community involvement for the spring and promotion of workers’ rights and equal treatment. As May Day approaches on the calendar, you can find various Facebook pages and websites, including NYC Parks, hosting events related to May Day and Beltane consisting of Morris dancing, costumes, music, and more to express jubilance and raise funds for particular organizations or projects. Additionally, some individuals continue to participate in producing and distributing May Day Baskets to loved ones and those who they dearly care about like the elderly even though this practice is uncommon in the present day. Furthermore, some cultural Hawaiians in New York City observe Lei Day on May 1st as the day marks the celebration of Hawaiian culture, particularly of native Hawaiians, ever since the late 1920s (Hitt 2016). Unfortunately, unlike other holidays, the lack of an official festival or parade for May Day in New York City results in fewer people knowing about the holiday and failing to attract a broader audience. Therefore, the holiday is obscurely celebrated amongst New Yorkers and is more prevalent in Western European countries.

Lei Day Celebration on Waikiki Beach, Hawaii

May Day is primarily celebrated in Ireland, England, Scotland, and Germany as these are the countries where the Pagan holiday originated. All of the countries vary in their specific rites, but all of them include maypoles, May Day baskets, feasts, music, dancing, and parades. In Scotland, the annual Beltane Fire Festival occurs in Edinburgh, Scotland where numerous individuals gather in the evening for a night of unrestricted sexuality, embrace, and spiritual release complete with fires, costumes, and drums. In England, celebrations are kept on a more traditional level with the crowning of a May Queen, Morris Dancing, and folk music and choir singing with children wearing white clothing as they dance. Lastly, Germany and Ireland both light bonfires and exchange gift baskets with each other to celebrate the arrival of summer and the harvest. The notable difference amongst all these countries and the United States is there is a stronger feeling of national pride and identity amongst the European as these festivities have been widely occurring for years. While Neopagans are trying to attract more attention to May Day in the United States, it is likely to remain an individualized and localized embracement more than a traditional national holiday.

May 7, 2019 / 0 Comments

How May Day’s Celebration Changed from Its Original Meaning

Is May Day a spring festival or a workers’ holiday? Well, it’s both actually. It wasn’t until the nineteenth century when the festival of pagan origins became associated with the struggle for an eight-hour working day. Workers tired of ten to sixteen hour days, dismal conditions, and little pay, found hope in anti-capitalist ideas, and socialist and anarchist principles. On May 1, 1886, approximately 35,000 workers walked off their jobs, demanding the standardization of eight-hour workdays. The Haymarket Affair occurred over the course of a three-day general strike in Chicago, including common laborers, artisans, merchants, and immigrants. A rally was called the following day at Haymarket Square after an incident where police opened fire and killed four strikers at the McCormick Harvesting Machine Company plant. Towards the end of the rally, an unknown assailant threw a dynamite bomb into the crowd of police as the police acted to disband the meeting. The bomb and resulting riot left seven policemen and four civilians dead while dozens of others were wounded.

Although the meeting had been peaceful until the explosion, the public blamed the riot on the organized labor movement and on anarchists and socialists. Because both of these groups were made up of immigrants, it added to a fear that foreign ideas threatened American values. Despite a lack of evidence against them in a sensational trial, eight radical labor activists were convicted in connection with the bombing, but four anarchists of the group were publicly hanged. The Haymarket Riot created widespread hysteria directed against immigrants and was viewed as a setback for the organized labor movement in America. At the same time, the men convicted in connection with the riot were viewed by many in the labor movement as martyrs. The origin of May Day stems from ancient roots in the spring festivals of rebirth as it’s the holiday of fertility from medieval England and other peasant societies so for the working classes it’s seen as a moment of rebirth (Remington 2013).

Haymarket Square bombing and riot.

Many labor historians point to this day in U.S. history as the inception of International Workers’ Day, more commonly referred to as May Day. Following the riots in Chicago, labor protests spread across France, Germany and the United Kingdom. At the first International Socialist Congress in Paris to commemorate the Haymarket Affair, International Workers’ Day was officially recognized in 1889. The first of May is a national, public holiday in many countries across the world known as May Day, Labour Day, or International Workers’ Day. Furthermore, the Social Congress of 1904 called on all Social-Democratic party organizations and trade unions of all countries to demonstrate on May First in order for the legal establishment of the eight hour work day and safer working conditions. Although European governments began to formally recognize International Workers’ Day on May Day, the U.S. government was still reluctant to adopt it. Some countries celebrate on other dates significant to them, such as the United States, which celebrates Labor Day on the first Monday of September. For many Americans, the Haymarket incident and public trials tarnished May 1 with the day of chaos and bloodshed. Because of the violence at the Haymarket stood for anarchy and revolution, the federal government adopts Labor Day on the first Monday of September.

Happy Loyalty Day!

Since the Bolshevik Revolution in Russia on May 1, 1917, exacerbated the U.S. government’s anxiety towards the holiday. It was President Grover Cleveland who established Labor Day as a federal holiday for Americans in 1894 to demean the violent protest of May 1. In an attempt to change the day’s meaning to avoid any association with social labor movements, President Dwight D. Eisenhower declares May first Loyalty Day in the 1950s. Loyal Day would be a “special day for the reaffirmation of loyalty to the United States of America and for the recognition of the heritage of American freedom” (Remington 2013). And prior to that, during the first World War, May Day was declared national loyalty day. The U.S. government continued to reject May Day’s adoption throughout the Cold War. There is a common misconception that May Day is only celebrated in Communist countries because it’s not formally recognized in the United States, but May Day is observed in almost every country in the world.

May 7, 2019 / 0 Comments

Capitalizing on the Spiritual and Political Rebirth of May Day

MAY Day

Like most holidays, the opportunity for enterprising individuals to capitalize on the celebrations and festivities of May Day attracts a considerable amount of interest and revenue every year. While there aren’t significant marketing campaigns and products associated with the holiday, people tend to purchase numerous items and materials needed to prepare for the rituals and events they will attend. Participating individuals tend to spend their money purchasing various flowers, incense, and substantial amounts of food and alcoholic beverages for the picnics and feasts that occur before or during the evening festivities. More importantly, participants invest their time and money constructing creative costumes with colorful props, makeup, and body paint. These costumes often represent spirits or figures related to Gaelic culture and are expressive of people embracing their pagan beliefs and individuality. Additionally, local communities and organizations seeking to attract large crowds of attendees pay for social media advertisements for their sponsored May Day events. Particularly in parts of England, organizers utilize various resources to ensure the parades, rituals, and festivities are entertaining and successful to garner more support to continue the traditions and celebrations in the future.

An Example of the Types of Costumes Worn on May Day

Commercialization of May Day within the United States has all of the same elements as in European countries, except young adults tend to further emphasize the alcoholic consumption portion of the holiday in a similar fashion to Saint Patrick’s Day celebrations. As a result, public drunkenness and disorderly conduct are often more of a concern at events with large crowds of young adults and, therefore, angers individuals who desire to embrace the holiday in a modest, reflective manner. Aside from this issue, participants commit themselves to celebrating the day with flowers, May Day Baskets, costumes, and feasts with entertainment shows as has been the tradition for centuries. Ceremonies to crown a May Queen and have children dance around a maypole are also considered ensure the youth are encouraged to socialize with each other and are motivated to continue embracing the holiday as they become older. As society increasingly shifts away from celebrating May Day and other pagan holidays, it will be a challenge to maintain interest and investment in these festivities highlighting the importance of community, reflection, and positivity for the future.

International WORKERS’ DAY

In many countries, May Day is an official public holiday, and workers have the day off. In the United States, the hardcore activism of Labor Day seems lost as most people use the day to for vacations, picnics, barbeques, and shopping. On the other hand, May Day has become an international celebration of the social and economic achievements of the labor movement; people often use May Day as a day for political protest. Today, the holiday is largely forgotten in the U.S., but the revival of May Day as a mass working-class event came on May 1, 2006. More than a million marchers in major U.S. cities pouring into the streets to protest anti-immigrant Sensenbrenner bill- which among other provisions, would have criminalized assistance to immigrants in the country illegally who were seeking food, housing or medical services. Also deemed “Day Without An Immigrant,” unauthorized immigrants and those who supported them were encouraged to skip work or school and refrain from buying and selling anything. Therefore, the intention of the boycott was to show the American public that their economy is helped by undocumented immigrants. The Sensenbrenner Bill was passed by the House of Representatives on December 16, 2005, but it did not pass in the Senate after a series of 2006 U.S. immigration reform protests. No agreement was ever reached before the election in November.

Protesters Rally Outside the Trump Building on May Day 2019

In recent years, groups have capitalized on the day to advocate for improvements to the immigration system in regards to the Trump Administration’s opposition. This year’s May Day was in support of different struggles ranging from fair wages, lower tuition costs, an end to discrimination against temporary or foreign workers, inequality and greed among the wealthy, and fighting against Trump’s proposed border wall. “People gathered in front of the Trump Building on Wall Street, holding signs that argued against capitalist exploitation of immigrant workers” and said there should be “no walls in the worker’s struggle”- a play on Trump’s proposed border wall” (Pereira and Fox 2019).

Several Macaulay Honors at Baruch students attended a May Day protest for workers and immigrants where New Yorkers from all over the city converged at Columbus Circle to rally and then marched to the Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue. These students are very politically active, which prompted them to attend this major political event with the Professional Staff Congress (PSC). PSC represents 30,000 faculty and staff at the City University of New York and the CUNY Research Foundation; the organization was demanding one fair wage for restaurant employees, free high-quality education for all CUNY students, and contract agreements for faculty and staff. Each individual maintained that participating in May Day was an interesting experience which opened their eyes to the various political causes that people were gathered for. The high-spirited environment fostered unity in displaying a strong show of force against the anti-workers and anti-immigrant policies coming from the White House.

PSC at May Day NYC March and Rally

May Day is an opportunity for the working class organizers seeking to unite as many workers as possible to win victories and teach the important lesson that an injury to one is an injury to all. Many protesters agree that May Day is going against the system, and the system doesn’t really benefit the actual workers which are the working class that they fight for. Essentially, it’s a day to be a voice for the voiceless.