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May Day is celebrated throughout the world, in many different ways and for several different reasons. Here in Southern Spain it stems from Saint Helen, Saint Constantine’s mother. The May Cross festival or Cruces de Mayo as it is called began when Saint Helen went on a search for the Cross on which Jesus was crucified after her son had a dream that a cross would help him win a battle. He himself with the help of his troops built a cross and took it with them on their fight and they did indeed win that battle. That inspired his mother to go on a quest to Jerusalem to find and obtain the real Cross and converted the whole family to Christianity. She found three crosses, but only one had the powers to heal the sick and as legend has it, raise people from the dead. She designated her life to urge people to worship the Cross and this continued even after her own death. Crosses are still displayed in many towns and cities decorated with spring flowers and local churches let off canons early in the morning until quite late into the following night. Children can be seen playing with firecrackers in many a church square way past midnight; church bands march through the streets, blowing horns and singing. And so this veneration of the cross, however it actually evolved, is the real reason behind the May Crosses Festivals that occur in so many countries.In England the reason behind May Day is very different but uncannily certain characteristics in the celebrations bear the same resemblance. It originated in Europe in Pagan times celebrating spring planting with the Celts and the Saxons worshiping the day of fire and sun. These celebrations and traditions were outlawed by the Catholics but some rituals were still ongoing until the 1700´s by people dressing up in animals masks and costumes while singing, chanting and blowing hunting horns. These were lead by a pagan priest dressed up as The Goddess of the Hunt, Diana, followed by the Horned God, Herne. The church folk of the towns and villages who were afraid kept away from the revelers in fear of their authorities. The well known Maypole arose from a phallic symbol where the young single folk would dance around with ribbons attached from the top of the pole until they were entwined with hopefully their true love. It is always fun and exciting to experience any festival in any country and by keeping these alive, it cements roots and culture, as long as Health and Safety regulations in Britain don’t stop many people dancing around May Poles or throwing Home Made pies at their local school teacher! Long may the May Day festival continue. Only a little fewer canons at 6 o’clock in the morning please.
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