It’s May Day. Not mayday! But you’ll want to alert your friends about these fun and interesting facts about the first of May.
As the German saying goes, “Alles neu macht der Mai,” which translated means, “May makes everything new.” The first of May is also known as May Day—not to be confused with the SOS emergency call mayday. which derives from the French “m’aidez”, pronounced “mayDAY,” and literally means “help me.”
Witches Night (Walpurgisnacht)
The first of May is celebrated in Germany (along with some other European countries) as the birthday of nature—hence, a lot of traditional activities are underway and celebrated the day prior. The night of April 30th is the Walpurgisnacht, also called the Hexennacht, and in English means “witches night.” Legend has it that the witches met every year in the night of the 30th April on the Brocken, the highest peak in the Harz Mountains in Germany to meet with the satan on their sabbath.
The Maypole (Maibaum)
During the day on May 1, the Maibaum (May Tree or Maypole), which was cut down in March, will be raised to welcome spring. All branches are cut off and cleared so that only the trunk of the log is left and used as the pole for decorating with garlands of fir and colorful ribbons, carved figures, and flowers. The tree is normally a birch because it’s known as the tree of new beginnings. It’s carried through the village, accompanied by music under the watchful eyes of neighborhood spectators. Before raised, the Maypole can be stolen by mischievous neighboring villages. If successfully stolen, the town has to pay for its return with a case of wine or beer. (Photo Thomas Dornfeld)
The May Dance (Tanz in den Mai)
The May Dance takes place on the evening of the Walpurgisnacht. Traditionally, the dance happens around a big bonfire to scare away the wicked ghosts and evil spirits with loud noises. When the fire is almost out, young lovers will often jump hand in hand over the burning embers. This unique custom is called “Maisprung” (May jump).
While being served local culinary specialties during the May Dance, the most common drink is the Mai bowle (May punch). This is a delicious mix of a dry white wine (Riesling is preferred) and dry champagne that’s flavored with fresh sweet woodruff sweet (Waldmeister) and served chilled. A good substitute for the fresh woodruff is woodruff syrup.
The flowers of the month of May are the dog-rose or rosa canina (it resembles the dog tree but is softer and more of a bush) and the lily of the valley, which in Germany is called the Maigloeckchen (little May bell). It’s a symbol of purity—bringing luck in love and the return of happiness.
Lily of The Valley flowers
The above symbols are all good reasons why the lily of the valley is used for weddings, Mother’s Day, and confirmations—which all take place in May. One of the traditional German presents for confirmation is a religious songbook bound in leather with the date and name embossed in gold.
Oma’s confirmation, May 1970 Confirmation greeting card and religious songbook showing a hymn about May
Labor Day (Maifeiertag)
While some are celebrating the traditional welcoming of spring, others are busy supporting the movements of the workers. The first of May is also celebrated as the Labor Day in many countries, including Germany. The date was inspired by an event that took place in Chicago on May of 1886, called the Haymarket affair—also known as the Haymarket massacre or Haymarket riot. This labor demonstration ended up in violence with some unfortunate deaths. The strikers were fighting for better working conditions and an eight-hour work day.
The first of May is an international Labor Day, recognized and observed as a holiday in most countries. As in the past, each year worldwide rallies, marches, and demonstrations take place supported by unions or parties—asking people to stand up for better work situations and conditions, along with safer work environments and more job securities—all in an attempt to create a brighter future for their families.
(Pictures by Thomas Dornfeld, May 1, 1972, Berlin Germany)
