Happy May Day

Today is May 1st (May Day) which is an ancient northern hemisphere Spring festival and a public holiday in many cultures.  The origin of May Day as a celebration dates back to the days before the birth of Christ. Like many ancient festivals, it has a Pagan connection.  For the Druids of the British Isles, May 1st was the second most important holiday of the year -- known as  BELTANE. This day divided the year into half, ending in SAMHAIN on November 1st.  A new fire would be lit and the fire was thought to lend life to the burgeoning Springtime sun. Cattle were driven through the fire to purify them and men with their sweethearts passed through the smoke for good luck...

May 1st is also International Workers' Day - a celebration of the international labour movement and left-wing political movements. It commonly sees organized street demonstrations and marches by working people and labor unions throughout most of the world. May 1 is a national holiday in more than 80 countries and celebrated, unofficially, in many other countries.

Mayday is also an international distress signal - derived from the French expression "venez m'aider" meaning "come help me".... According to Wikipedia it is "used to signal a life-threatening emergency primarily by mariners and aviators, but in some countries local organizations such as police forces, firefighters, transportation organizations also use the term.  The call is always given three times in a row ("Mayday Mayday Mayday") to prevent mistaking it for some similar sounding phrase under noisy conditions."  Below is the song "Terrible Things" by Mayday Parade: