May Day

The tradition of celebrating May Day by singing and dancing around a maypole which is tied with colorful ribbons or streamers survive in America as part of the English tradition.  Weaving in and out while holding ribbons to  entwine the Maypole, the choosing of a May Queen and  hanging May baskets filled with flowers on the doorknob or steps of neighbors homes are all leftover bits of old European traditions whose origins date back beyond the birth of Christ.

An ancient rite performed throughout the world on this day was the setting of a new fire which was thought to lend its life to the springtime sun. In early Irish lore a number of significant events took place on Beltane [Beltine, Beltaine, Belltaine], which long remained the focus of folk traditions and tales in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man.  For the Druids of the British Isles, this was the second most important holiday of the year.  Other pre-Christian Celtic peoples, divided the year into two main seasons as did the Irish. The beginning of the year [winter] which was known as Samhain meaning “death” by the Irish.  It fell on November 1^st.  Midyear [summer] was known as Beltaine and by Cétamain which means “life” in Scotland and also in parts of Ireland.

  

These two days were believed to be critical periods because the bounds between the supernatural and human worlds were temporarily erased.  Everyone knew that on May Eve, witches and fairies roamed freely making it necessary for measures to be taken against their enchantments.

The first mentioned of Beltane was in a glossary attributed to Cormac, Bishop of Cashel and King of Munster, who was killed in 908. Cormac describes how on Beltane, cattle were driven between two bonfires as a magical means of protecting them from disease before they were led into open summer pastures.  This custom was still observed in Ireland during the 19th century. Other festivities enjoyed during this celebration included Maypole dances and the cutting of green boughs and flowers.

Cormac derived the word Beltaine from the Old Irish word tene meaning “fire” and the name of the god, Bel or Bil.  A number of 20^th century scholars have maintained modified versions of this etymology despite linguistic difficulties by linking the first element of the word with the Gaulish god Belenos which the Irish call Belenus.

Cattle were driven through the fire to purify them. Men, with their sweethearts, passed through the smoke for good luck. The word ‘Beltane’ is derived from the Irish Gaelic ‘Bealtaine’ or the Scottish Gaelic ‘Bealtuinn’, meaning ‘Bel-fire’, the fire of the Celtic god of light (Bel, Beli or Belinus). He, in turn, may be traced to the Middle Eastern god Ba’al. Bonfires [bone fires—from human sacrifice] were lit, and leaping the fire was a custom thought to encourage the crops to grow as high as the leaper could leap or jump the fire. These fires, also called “balefires” or “need-fires” were thought to have healing properties.

When the Romans came to occupy the British Isles, the beginning of May became a very popular feast time for them. It was devoted primarily to the worship of Flora, the goddess of flowers. A five day celebration, called the Floralia, was held in her honor. The five day festival started on April 28^th  and end on May 2^nd. Gradually the rituals of Floralia were added to those of the Beltane. Many of today's May Day customs bear a stark similarity to those combined traditions.

Maypoles were of all sizes which led to villages competing with one another to produce the tallest Maypole. Much merrymaking accompanied the bringing in of the Maypole from the woods.  The Maypole was usually set up for just the one day in smaller towns, but in London and larger towns, they were erected as a permanent fixture.

The Puritans discouraged May Day celebrations.  It was revived when they lost power in England, but the celebration did not have the same dedicated following as before.  Eventually it came to be regarded as more of a day of joy and merriment for young people rather than as a day of observing the ancient customs.

Attempts to do away with the practices which were obviously of pagan origins were brought about by the Reformation.  Although they basically succeeded, the Maypole with many of the other traditions still survives. In France, the name merely changed.  In Perigord and elsewhere, the May Tree became the "Tree of Liberty" and was the symbol of the French Revolution. Despite the new nomenclature, the peasants treated the tree in the same traditional spirit. And they would dance around it the same way as their forefathers had always done.

The tradition of celebrating May Day by singing and dancing around a maypole which is tied with colorful ribbons or streamers survived in America as part of the English tradition.  Weaving in and out while holding ribbons to  entwine the Maypole, the choosing of a May Queen and  hanging May baskets filled with flowers on the doorknob or steps of neighbors homes are all leftover bits of old European traditions.

 In the Shenandoah Valley, “Freckle Washing” was commonly celebrated on the first day of May.  To work it had to be performed in the following manner, one must arise before sunrise and not speak to anyone.  If you slept upstairs it was necessary to walk down the steps backwards before going to wash your freckles in the stump of a tree in which rain water had been trapped. If stump water was not to be found, one could place their hands on the dew dampened grass and moisten the freckles  by rubbing dampened hands  over the face or wherever the freckles were located.  The rest of the moisture must be removed by wiping it on a part of the body where the freckles would not show publicly.  It was then important to say, “The first morning in May, I wash my freckles away.  Where I put them I want them to stay.” as one rubbed the dew onto their body.  For this ritual to be successful, it had to be repeated three years in a row on the first day of May. 

It was also believed that if one looked over their shoulder into a well or spring with a mirror they would see their future spouse.  Your casket was said to appear if you were to remain unmarried.

Just in case one was interrupted during the three consecutive years of the May Day treatment or for whatever reason the above treatment did not work, there is a very old recipe with which to solve the problem. 

To Remove Freckles, Tan, Pimples, Etc.

To two gallons of strong lye soap suds add one pint of pure alcohol and four ounces of rosemary.  Mix together well. Apply mixture with a linen cloth twice a day until the object is affected.