From witches to Communism: the fascinating history of May Day
What does May Day mean to you?
Here, in Romania, the 1st of May is celebrated as International Workers' Day, a Communist holiday. Although Romania hasn't been a Communist country for almost thirty years now, the tradition has remained and people associate the 1st of May with this working man's celebration. But it wasn't always so; the 1st day of May used to have a much more colorful, more cheerful meaning.
The Origins of May Day
May Day is one of those many pagan holidays that were carried over into Christianized Europe. It is believed that this celebration has its roots all the way back in the days of the Roman Empire. May Day very probably evolved from the ancient festival of Floralia (a celebration of the goddess Flora, deity of flowers, spring and fertility), which traditionally lasted for six days, from the 27th or 28th of April, until the 3rd of May.
The festival itself was a very happy event, very much focused on pleasure and joy, celebrated by dancing, gathering flowers and dressing in bright colors. What seems to have been the main event were the Ludi Florae, the Games of Flora, which included all sorts of sports – such as boxing, footraces, chariot races – and other such competitive events, and theatrical performances.
The festival would end with a sacrifice to the goddess, to ensure the fertility of crops and animals, for the coming summer. The festival also featured the release of hares and goats – animals considered to be fertile – to ensure the good luck of the people.
The Irish Beltane
Another fertility holiday, that celebrated the beginning of spring and return of the Sun, was the Irish celebration of Beltane – also celebrated on the 1st of May.
According to Irish mythology, Beltane marked the release of the Sun. It was believed that throughout the winter, the sun was held captive, as the people rarely (if ever) saw it during the cold, winter months, and that it was released at the beginning of summer, to rule the sky. And the people celebrated this mythical release by lighting bonfires and having huge feasts.
There even existed special bonfires, whose ashes, smoke and flames were considered protective and people walked (sometimes with their cattle) and even leapt over them, to gain protection in the coming year.
Walpurgis Night
There are many celebrations of the 1st of May, throughout history, but my particular favorite is the Germanic Walpurgisnacht, because it combines both the pagan and the Christian and it's just fascinating.
It's not as old as the other May Day holidays, although it would be hard to pinpoint its exact beginning – the feast of St Walpurga (an English missionary credited with bringing Christianity to Germany) is typically held on the 1st of May and there are mentions of this holiday dating back to the year 870. However, the term Walpurgisnacht isn't mentioned anywhere, unitl the 17th century, in Johann Coler's Calendarium perpetuum.
Although relating to a Christian holiday, Walpurgisnacht is believed to be a night in which witches meet, on the Brocken, the highest peak of the Harz Mountains (Germany). It is believed that the witches gather to await the arrival of spring. And it was very probably inspired by the pagan celebration of Witches' Sabbath, a meeting of sourcerers.
The celebration of Walpurgis night often focuses on warding away the witches coming to meet on Brocken, by lighting huge bonfires and cheering whenever black smoke appears, because it's believed that it signifies that a witch has been sent away.
As you can see, it's similar to other May Day holidays, and celebrations of spring and fertility around the world.
May Day is still celebrated today as the holiday of spring, joy and fertility. So many of these customs from so long ago have carried over into modern times. Besides the ever-popular bonfires, a very popular ritual is dancing around the Maypole, holding colorful ribbons, which are tied to the pole. As the revelers dance, the ribbons become interwoven in a cheerful medley of colors.
The Day of the Working Man
Sadly, throughout history, the 1st of May wasn't always marked by games and good cheer. The month on May 1886 was marked by blood and suffering, in the United States, where workers fought their own bloody war to establish the 8 hour day (8 hours of work per day) as the norm, to prevent excesses and abuses against the working man.
Before that, the working day often ranged from 10 to 16 hours.
And workers took to the streets to protest this inhumane treatment. A general strike began on the 1st of May.
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One of the key moments during these protests was the Haymarket affair, which took place on the 4th of May, 1886, in Chicago. What began as a peaceful protest for the 8-hour-day turned into a massacre when an unidentified individual threw a dynamite bomb at police. This, paired with the ensuing fire, killed seven police officers, four civilians and wounded dozens.
Over 100 protesters were arrested, as a result, and eight people were tried and convicted (in what is considered an unjust trial) of these deaths. Seven of these eight were condemned to death. However, only four were executed (by hanging).
It was, by all acounts, a horrible day. And it is considered the origin of the International Workers' Day holiday.
A popular practice for Socialist and Communist political parties was to take pre-existing holidays and rename them, give them different meanings. Given its proximity to the Haymarket massacre and its pagan origins, May Day was chosen as International Workers' Day (or Labour Day, as it is known in some countries), to commemorate the victims of the Haymarket affair.
Image A 1 May Rally in Bucharest in 1967
Through the years, the 1st of May was a day for political demonstrations (mostly in Communist countries), focusing on the workforce, usually accompanied by military demonstrations as well.
Today, many countries celebrate workers' day on the 1st of May. Many countries also celebrate fertility and warm weather and the sun. What do you celebrate, what is customary in your country? Are you closer to a military parade or crowning the Queen of May?
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Thank you for reading!
En España esa fiesta es mítica para los que se autodenominaban " progresistas de izquierdas", de la generación de 98, significa la lucha obrera por los derechos del trabajador. Algunos deis amigos sé casaron en esa fecha como muestra de progresía política.
This is unbelievable. Where I’m originally from, May Day is nothing. Literally, I had no idea it existed until adulthood.
Then I learned, as an adult, that it was a “holiday for the commies that no one cares about anymore.”
And then I spent some time living in part of a country where not only is May Day celebrated, it’s celebrated with fervor and gusto!
The people I lived amongst at that time didn’t seem like the evil, anti-freedom, gulag-promoting monsters that I had been told were the main characteristics of the “commies who celebrated May Day.”
They were just nice people who danced with ribbons around a pole and gave their kids little red flags to march around with.
My own ideology, lay mostly far away from the “kinda sorta communists” in that community.
But that had absolutely no effect on how much fun I had on May Day.
It’s fascinating to read about the different traditions elsewhere for a holiday I never even knew existed for the first two decades of my life.
That is fascinating - to think that May Day means nothing in some places...
This shows exactly how important it is to keep an open mind ;)
So many holidays seems to have some sort of dark history.. I never knew may day was part of them
It's not dark per se...at least, most of the folks who celebrate workers' day have no bad intentions, so..
Fascinating to learn about its origins, I agree
Great post, well written and informative. Romania? Really, did not see that at all.
I’m quite familiar with the Christmas Day story, history has it that it was once a pagan holiday, don’t know how authentic that information is though. Thanks for sharing, this is really educative.