Well…will you looky here. Time to turn the page on the ole paper calendar or for those who aren’t as old-fashioned as me, you can just swipe your digital device from April to May. Today is May Day, and is also known as International Workers Day around the world, which is a celebration of labourers and the working classes around the world and promoted by the international labour movement and occurs every May 1st, or in France, a big day to gather and protest the recently revamped pension system. I’d hate to be in Macron’s shoes these days.

In the U.S. May Day is a celebration of all things Spring and has its roots in astronomy with a touch of agriculture on the side. Being the halfway point between the spring equinox and the summer solstice, it’s an unofficial holiday, marked with springtime festivities filled with song and dance celebrating the sown fields that are starting to sprout. Cattle were driven to pasture, special bonfires were lit, with doors of houses as well as livestock adorned with yellow May flowers. In the Middle Ages, the Gaelic people celebrated the festival of Beltane, the “Day of Fire.” People created large bonfires and danced at night to celebrate. May Day was a big celebration in England and ultimately migrated to the U.S. with the new colonists. Children would dance around the maypole, holding colorful ribbons. People would ”bring in the May” by gathering wildflowers and green branches, weaving floral hoops and hair garlands, and crowning a May king and queen. As a wee lass, I remember decorating May baskets in school, by making little paper cones, colored with crayons and filled with dandelion flowers or lilacs if they were blooming to give to  Mom when I got home from school. Being resourceful kids, we also decorated the tether pole ropes with colored paper flowers, and giving our best  imitation of dancing around the ‘maypole.’ Ah, now those were the days.

Fast forward and my ‘celebration’ of this annual date began by pulling weeds that I swear sprouted overnight from last week’s rain showers, otherwise known as fertilizer for weeds that germinate between the flagstone paths. Being a kid on May Day was a lot more fun.

But it’s still Monday, which means we need to start the week out with a smile, right? No point starting out the week with a grumble. So let’s see what the Ranch Hands came up with today to celebrate springtime.

Don’t know about you, I think there might be a subtle message here indicating ‘somebody’ apparently isn’t keen on costumes for photo shoots, Luckily I’m not completely oblivious which means I should be visiting the Dollar Store to check out what junk inexpensive decor I can use for the next photo session.

Wishing you and yours a very Happy May Day.

Live, love, bark! 🐾