May Day! May Day!
May 1.
May Day.
In most nations of the world May Day is celebrated as International Workers' Day or Labour Day. Only two countries do not:
In the United States and Canada, Labor (or Labour) Day is celebrated on the first Monday in September, so as to not be associated with all those REDS on May 1.
Of course, celebrations of May Day date back long before labor movements. Exactly one half year since November 1 means the end of winter weather (for the northern hemisphere) and serves as a call for celebration. Perhaps a romp around the Maypole.
May I make my fond excuses for the lateness of the hour,
but we accept your invitation, and we bring you Beltane's flower.
For the May Day is the great day, sung along the old straight track.
And those who ancient lines did lay will heed the song that calls them back.
In the Society for Creative Anacronism, May 1 is the first day of the new year. Reckoning from the founding of the Society in 1967 C.E., today is the first day of Anno Societatis (A.S.) XLV (45).
"May Day! May Day!" is an internationally recognized distress signal (from the French from the French venez m'aider, meaning "come (and) help me").
HT to Rudolf for the map.
Labels: world
posted by Cartophiliac @ Saturday, May 01, 2010
6 Comments
6 Comments:
In Australia, only Queensland and Northern Territory observe Labour Day on the first Monday in May, so some years that could fall on May 1st. Other states have it either in early March or early October.
I wasn't sure my blanket statement would hold up... Any other countries that don't celebrate Labour Day today?
and New Zealand: fourth Monday in October.
May Day seems to be getting more popular as a generalized protest day in the U.S. Or maybe only in in these parts.
The Netherlands also don`t celebrate labourday because they have already celebrate Queensday on april 30th.
In the UK 'May Day' is rarely celebrated on May 1 unless it falls on a Monday. Our holiday is always on the nearest following Monday. I think that it was a Tory idea so as to steer away from any notion of an international workers day all happening on the same day.
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