Evening star., 1948-05-02
lust Between
Yourselves
BY Philip n. Love.

popular of holidays. Now 1t is re-
garded as an occasion OF extraordi-
nary Importance only by the Com
rnunists.
Some students of folk customs be-
lieve the observance of the first day
of May as q festival was started by
the Druids, those ancient Celtic in
habitants of Gaul and the British
Isles who worshipped trees. Others
trace the May Day tradition back
to the ancient Romans and their
celebration Of the Floralia.
The Floralia was observed from
April % to May in honor of Flora,
the Roman goddess of flowers. 1t
was gala occasion, with street
dances. games and theatrical per-
formances. The first boy or girl to
place garland of flowers on the
goddess altar was supposed to have
. year Of good luck.
"
Those who consider the Floralia
the beginning of the May Day ira
dition believe the festival was intro
duced into England during the Ro-
man occupation. At any rate, "In
medieval and Tudor England" says
the Encyclopaedia Britannica, May
Day was great public holiday. All
classes of the people were up with
the dawn, and went 'a-maying.
Branches of trees and flowers were
borne back In triumph to the towns
and villages, the center of. the pro-
cession being occupied by the may
pole, glorious with ribbons and
wreaths. The naypole was usually
Of birch, and set up for the day
only; in London and the larger
towns, the poles were of durable
wood and permanently erected"
The Puritans objected to the may
poles, and they were forbidden by
the Parliament in 1914 They came
back into favor, however, with the
Restoration. In 1861, a maypole 134
feet high was set up in the Strand,
London, by dozen British sailors
under the personal supervision of
James II. then Duke Of York and
lord high admiral.
The objections of the Puritans are
given by the World Book Encyclo-
pedia as the reason May Day has
never been celebrated with much
national enthusiasm in the United
States. 1t is probable, however, that
the adoption of the day by the
Communists and Socialists, who
have never been very popular with
the overwhelming majority of Amer
leans, is an important factor.
May l was selected as sort Of
labor day" by the International
Socialist Congress Of 1889. The idea
was that the day would be enforced
as holiday by workers throughout
the world.
In England, the Sunday following
May Is observed as "Labour Day."
In the United States and Canada,
May Day has no significance what
ever as a workers holiday, and in
Italy its observance is forbidden.
Only In Russia and the puppet ma
tons ruled from Moscow does 1t
have the status Of an official holiday.
\ y #
Labor Day in this country and
Canada Is. Of course, the first Mon
day in September, and its celebra-
ton is participated In by all classes,
employers and workers, rich and
poor. Oregon was the first State
to make the day a legal holiday, in
1887, and New York. New Jersey
and Colorado soon followed. Con-
gress gave official recognition to the
holiday in 1892.
But for Americans and Canadians,
May Day and Labor Day remain
two different dates. Our observance
Of May Day is confined, for the most
part, to schools and colleges, where
Queens of the May" and their
ladies-in- waiting are selected, and
there are dances, professions and
other festivities. Among Catholic
students, the first Sunday of May
Is the occasion for beautiful religious
ceremonies, including a procession.
the Crowning Of statue of the
Blessed Virgin Mary with flowers,
the singing of hymns and the reci-
tation Of prayers.
Very strange things take place in
Ireland on May eve. Any one brave
enough to listen (as, of course, no
one Isl, the Irish say, can hear the
fairy pipes Of the wee people" En-
chanted cities spring up from the
sea. and even O'Donoghue Of Kill
larney leaves his castle under the
waters and parades on a dazzling
white steed. followed by his lords
and ladies.