EVERYONE looks forward to the influx of bank holidays that arrive around Easter and May each year and 2019 is no different. But what exactly is May Day and when is our early long weekend? What is May Day and when is the UK bank holiday? May Day is a holiday celebrated on May 1, […]
EVERYONE looks forward to the influx of bank holidays that arrive around Easter and May each year and 2019 is no different.
But what exactly is May Day and when is our early long weekend?
May Day is a holiday celebrated on May 1, which is TODAY, and is a day that stems from ancient celebrations of spring.
However, in England, May 1 is not a public holiday unless it falls on a Monday.
Instead, since 1978 the Spring bank holiday has always fallen on the first Monday of the month.
This year, as May Day falls on a Wednesday, the bank holiday is moved to the following Monday, which is May 6.
Unlike the other bank holidays, the first Monday in May is taken off from schools by itself, and not as part of an end of term or half term holiday.
The reason for this is because the day has no Christian significance – so doesn’t fit into the usual school holiday pattern.
In the UK, May 1 is also International Workers’ Day – or Labour Day.
In England, traditional May Day celebrations include crowning a May Queen and dancing around a maypole.
It has been a day of festivities throughout history and is most associated with towns and villages celebrating springtime and the fertility of the land and livestock.
May 1 is also a national holiday in Russia and Asian countries such as China, Thailand, and Vietnam.
For many around the world, May Day is also associated with springtime and new beginnings.
That being the case, many of the quotes about May Day refer to spring.
Here are some of our favourites:
However, May Day also symbolises labour movements around the world.
Here are some quotes that represent those May Day vibes.