Maypoles and the Labor Movement: What is May Day?

You may see Arlington elementary school students frolicking outside around a maypole on Wednesday as the world celebrates May Day — traditionally the celebration of the return of spring.

Although spring technically began March 20, it has only been in the past few weeks that temperatures have really risen. (In fact, it was so chilly in the DC metro area in late March that the National Park Service had to push back the peak bloom dates for our famous Tidal Basin Cherry Blossoms.)

Originally, ancient Greeks and Romans celebrated with dancing, wildflowers and food. According to Encyclopedia Brittanica, “Such rites originally may have been intended to ensure fertility for crops and, by extension, for livestock and humans, but in most cases this significance was gradually lost, so that the practices survived largely as popular festivities.”

Later, May Day became associated with the labor movement, and International Workers’ Day is celebrated as a holiday in at least 80 countries. In part, it commemorates the May 1886 Haymarket incident in Chicago, when someone threw a bomb at police who were trying to break up a protest and a riot ensued.

If you have an May Day or International Workers' Day event, let us know about it in the comments and add it to our events calendar.

Here's what we're looking forward to this month in Arlington: Taste of Arlington is coming up May 19. The Clarendon Dishcrawl is May 15. What are you looking forward to?