May 1st is a traditional day of celebration throughout the world. Celebrations differ by country, but are related to the end of winter and the coming of summer. Many remember making May baskets as a traditional May Day activity. Someone would leave a brightly decorated May basket on a neighbor’s porch, ring the bell, and run away. If the basket receiver caught the basket giver, the giver owed the receiver a kiss.
Maypole dances were another way to celebrate the day. A tall pole was decorated with flowers, garlands, and brightly colored ribbons attached to the top of the pole. Dancers held the ribbons while they danced in a circle around the pole. The ribbons intertwined, creating a web around the pole.
May Day is also known as International Worker’s Day and is celebrated by labor organizations who used the day to fight for an 8-hour work day. The day is associated with the 1886 Haymarket Affair in Chicago when over a dozen people were killed during a strike and ensuing riot. For these reasons, May Day has become a day for political and government protest for some.
Many also recognize mayday as an international distress signal like S.O.S. This meaning has nothing to do with May 1st, but instead comes from the French phrase, “venez m’aider”, meaning “come and help me.”
In the museum world, Heritage Preservation - the National Institute for Conservation (www.heritagepreservation.org), has combined May 1st May Day with venez m’aider mayday to highlight the need to save our collective heritage. Archives, libraries, museums, and arts and historic preservation organizations set aside May 1st as MayDay, an initiative to protect cultural heritage from disasters. Disasters can range from natural disasters to crimes and encompass anything that could potentially damage our collective history including buildings, archaeological sites, documents, books, artifacts, battlefields, and landscapes. Every day as we work at the Giles County Historical Society, we are mindful of the stewardship of our collections and mitigating risk to our collective heritage. The earthquake in Haiti, the hurricanes in New Orleans, and Giles County’s recent flooding are all examples of how fragile our heritage is and how important the observance of MayDay is to protect our cultural heritage.
Maypole dances were another way to celebrate the day. A tall pole was decorated with flowers, garlands, and brightly colored ribbons attached to the top of the pole. Dancers held the ribbons while they danced in a circle around the pole. The ribbons intertwined, creating a web around the pole.
May Day is also known as International Worker’s Day and is celebrated by labor organizations who used the day to fight for an 8-hour work day. The day is associated with the 1886 Haymarket Affair in Chicago when over a dozen people were killed during a strike and ensuing riot. For these reasons, May Day has become a day for political and government protest for some.
Many also recognize mayday as an international distress signal like S.O.S. This meaning has nothing to do with May 1st, but instead comes from the French phrase, “venez m’aider”, meaning “come and help me.”
In the museum world, Heritage Preservation - the National Institute for Conservation (www.heritagepreservation.org), has combined May 1st May Day with venez m’aider mayday to highlight the need to save our collective heritage. Archives, libraries, museums, and arts and historic preservation organizations set aside May 1st as MayDay, an initiative to protect cultural heritage from disasters. Disasters can range from natural disasters to crimes and encompass anything that could potentially damage our collective history including buildings, archaeological sites, documents, books, artifacts, battlefields, and landscapes. Every day as we work at the Giles County Historical Society, we are mindful of the stewardship of our collections and mitigating risk to our collective heritage. The earthquake in Haiti, the hurricanes in New Orleans, and Giles County’s recent flooding are all examples of how fragile our heritage is and how important the observance of MayDay is to protect our cultural heritage.
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