Happy May Day! (May Day Songs)

Subject: RE: Happy May Day!
From: mousethief
Date: 30 Apr 01 - 07:12 PM

Hesp, what's the significance of throwing the flowers into the water? This is something I'm not familiar with.

Alex the ignorant

Subject: RE: Happy May Day!
From: hesperis
Date: 30 Apr 01 - 07:11 PM

April 30th is May Eve! And have a merry one of those, too! Today I tried to throw a crown of flowers into a river as we drove over a bridge, but the wind threw it back onto the bridge. Oh, well.

Subject: RE: Happy May Day!
From: mousethief
Date: 30 Apr 01 - 07:03 PM

I know, I was just teasin' y'all.

And now I can tell my favorite MayDay story.

As you all know, Mayday is the international workers' (read: marxist/leninist) holiday.

Well, on May 1, 1984, I was a grad student at the University of Illinois at Chicago. It was one of those rare spring days in Chicago that was neither snowy nor excruciatingly hot, and a lot of people were lunching in the amphitheatre in the center of campus.

Well, knowing it was the Marxist/Leninist holiday, the campus Young Republicans had booked the lectern (sp?) in the amphitheatre, and its attendant PA system. They had a whole slough of 'em, in suit-and-tie, to come up to the microphone and read short essays on the glories of capitalism.

The Leninist-Marxists, of which our campus had several groups (all in competition with one another and denouncing one another's right to represent world Leninist/Marxism, of course), came late to the amphitheatre and REALLY had their (red) knickers in a knot that the Young Republicans had the PA system booked up. They stood off to one side, yelling jeers at the YR's, occasionally breaking into chants of marxist slogans, and so forth. They were really quite obviously hot under the collar, and the YR's were eating it up, being very calm -- almost mockingly calm and cool and collected, smoothly reading their pro-capitalism essays over the PA system.

It was quite a show. Most of us lunch-munchers were enjoying it greatly.

Then I noticed a young student running back and forth around the rim of the amphitheatre. He was whispering in people's ears, and getting nods or thumbs up from the people he talked to.

This went on for a few minutes, and then suddenly, a good number the spectators on one side of the amphitheatre yelled, "LESS FILLING!"

Immediately followed by a bunch on the other side who yelled out, "TASTES GREAT!"

They went back and forth several times, finally breaking into laughter, with the rest of us (except of course the L/M's, who were furious, and the YR's, who were taking themselves far too seriously to laugh).

It was the best Mayday I've ever had.

Alex

Subject: RE: Happy May Day!
From: Hollowfox
Date: 30 Apr 01 - 06:55 PM

'Thief, I was just getting things started a bit early, figuring that my post would be just an hour or two before the day for our friends in Europe. Besides, I had a minute to do it, and I thought of it, for a change. *g*

Subject: RE: Happy May Day!
From: Snuffy
Date: 30 Apr 01 - 06:54 PM

Only 10 minutes to go here in England. Then it's a couple of hours kip and back up to dance at 5.30. Then a day at work and off to the Maypole dancing in a nearby village at 6pm.

(In the local paper they called it maple dancing! Must be what they do in Canada)

Wassail! V

Subject: RE: Happy May Day!
From: mousethief
Date: 30 Apr 01 - 06:50 PM

Since when was April 30th May Day? I know Nixon screwed up Washington's Birthday, but this is ridiculous! :-)

Alex

Subject: RE: Happy May Day!
From: Hawker
Date: 30 Apr 01 - 06:41 PM

Happy Mayday to you all too, I'm of to Padstow to follow the 'Oss - and maybe get in a few songs in the evening! Cheers, and may the May bring the sun, an end to foot and mouth and smiles to all our faces.
Lucy

Subject: RE: Happy May Day!
From: Morticia
Date: 30 Apr 01 - 06:20 PM

Merry Beltane to all.

Subject: RE: Happy May Day!
From: Hollowfox
Date: 30 Apr 01 - 06:01 PM

I'm sorry to hear that your day won't be as easy for you as it might be for others, Dave. I'll keep a spot for you in my thoughts tomorrow, and until we meet so I can give you a coropreal hug, here's a cyberhug to tide you over.

Subject: RE: Happy May Day!
From: Manitas
Date: 30 Apr 01 - 05:45 PM

Apparently it all started as late as they 1920's when an EFDS folk-dance team went along to the May Morning revels in Oxford.They included some morris dances. It was continued by the Oxford University Morris Men, Oxford City Morris Men and Headington Quarry MM until people thought it was traditional to dance morris at sunup on 1st May (which it is by now!).

Subject: RE: Happy May Day!
From: Mrs.Duck
Date: 30 Apr 01 - 05:44 PM

Happy May Day everyone.

Subject: RE: Happy May Day!
From: CarolC
Date: 30 Apr 01 - 05:42 PM

And to you, Hollowfox.

Nicely put Tig! Thanks for that.

Carol

Subject: RE: Happy May Day!
From: GUEST,Rana
Date: 30 Apr 01 - 05:16 PM

Anne Lister has a great May morning song - can't remeber the name (it's at home) - someone else may, though

Rana (who'll be up at 5:30 am - who started this stupid tradition anyway?)

Subject: RE: Happy May Day!
From: BobP
Date: 30 Apr 01 - 04:29 PM

How about a "May" songlist!

I'll start it off with "One Morning In May"
.

Bob P

Subject: RE: Happy May Day!
From: Dave (the ancient mariner)
Date: 30 Apr 01 - 04:13 PM

My Maydays are not happy occasions... but Happy May Day and forgive the play on words *smile* Yours, Aye. Dave

Subject: RE: Happy May Day!
From: Tig
Date: 30 Apr 01 - 04:02 PM

Thanks and the same to you. Let's hope the tide turns for the better and all things start to be healed at this time.

Subject: Happy May Day!
From: Hollowfox
Date: 30 Apr 01 - 03:57 PM

Also Saint Walpurga's Day (tonight), Saint Joseph's Day (tomorrow), Beltaine, and whatever other name you'd like for a beautiful spring day (at least where I live). I'm putting up the window screens and putting away the flannel sheets.
For you folks in the southern hemisphere, I hope your autumn's a good one.