Superstition of the Week - May Day

May Day is celebrated in many parts of the world. Its roots can be traced back to the Roman Festival, Floralia, and the Celtic celebration, Beltane, also known as Beltain or Bealtaine. Floralia was a five-day festival to honor the Goddess Flora with dancing, ringing bells, May Queens, flowers, and the Maypole. The Beltane ceremony honored the god of the sun and the rebirth of the earth, a celebration of fertility, flowers, sensuality, and delight. Bonfires lit the hillsides and there were games, dancing, feasting, and merrymaking. The Celts also celebrated with the Maypoles. It was said if the dancers wove a perfect pattern with the ribbons, it would be an excellent harvest, but if the ribbons became entangled, the harvest would not be as bountiful.

Other May Day traditions include, decorating windows and doorsteps with flowers to keep out mischievous fairies, filling baskets with flowers to leave on the doorsteps of the sick or elderly to bring good health for the coming year, children hanging baskets on their neighbor's doorknob, knocking and then running away, and in some areas it is said if they get caught, then they are suppose to get a kiss. In some countries it is still a tradition for boys to secretly plant a May pine tree under the window of the girl they love. In England they still choose a Queen and King of May and dance around the Maypole. Since the Puritans did not celebrate May Day, it was never celebrated with as much enthusiasm in the United States. However in some towns, children still make paper baskets, fill them with flowers and candy to leave on their neighbors' doorknobs.