May Day May Day

A perfect May Day morning and Steve and I went out for our Sunday run and were happy to find that it was so beautiful everywhere. A burst of sunshine makes so much difference to the colour of the fields and trees, woodland flowers, animals and birds. First thing this morning the sky was so blue, like a true summer day, the temperature was not quite so summery but still it was a little warmer than the frosty mornings we have still had in the last week of April. 

Some of the May Day celebrations have gradually faded away having fallen foul of the PC brigade. On the early TV news today there was talk of a military meeting where one person was told that the expression ‘Brain Storming’ should not be used because it could be found offensive to people with mental health issues. I tend to think that it is all getting to a point where it is just plain silly. 

The village May Queen being crowned and the selection of her princesses have all, bit by little bit, been nibbled away. Not that many years ago in the village that we lived it, the local school, that has always held a May Day festival decided to have a May Princess and a May Prince. I think that was the last time I saw this ancient festival when I had delivered some kids who were taking part and took them home afterwards.  

It was all great fun for the children who had practiced for weeks to dance around the Maypole. All the fun, the competitions and dancing is all very pretty, everybody smiling, laughing and kids squealing with delight, a pleasant afternoon out. 

It is of course true that it was in the past a pagan celebration, and that there were more sinister implications attached to the young virgin selected to be May Queen in what was then, all to do with fertility and the success of the summer crops. I would think it a shame if this fun village event, that the children love, were to be stopped because of idea’s washed well away by the centuries.