Today is May 1st, which I read is Beltane, the first day of summer in the Celtic or pagan calendar. As a young Catholic girl in Hawaii, I used to celebrate May 1st as "May Day" when in the public schools, we would sing songs, dance around a maypole and bring offerings of flowers and fruit to an altar of Mary. I guess pretty much everyone was Catholic or else they didn't mind. It was a huge deal. Probably it was the Catholic Church's way of linking a pagan holiday to a religious holiday, as was their habit. I didn't really understand what I was doing or why, because I was so young, but I so loved the flowers, the dancing, and the celebration.
Despite being almost 50, I'd love to celebrate that way today. Flowers, dancing, celebration, anticipating warmth and beauty and all that summer brings here in the Pacific Northwest.
~Picture by Hubbie Mark
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