May Day Origins

On this 1st of May, I am thinking of my childhood and May Day spent with my maternal grandmother in Cornwall, England.  The May Day Parade was so magical and seeing the dancing around the May Pole...it feels like yesterday...

The Celts of the British Isles (what better place to experience May Day than in Cornwall, England with it's very Celtic roots) held May 1st as the most important day of the year,  when the festival of Beltane was held.

This festival divided the year in half, between the light and the dark. Symbolic fire was one of the main rituals of the festival, helping to celebrate the return of life and fertility to the world.

Today, the 1st of May is an official holiday in many countries where it is celebrated as the day of the workers.