Many May Day traditions are forgotten

Happy May Day. Oh, wait, we don’t celebrate May Day. Happy winter is over day? Go ahead and plant the rest of the garden day? There has to be something to celebrate.

I have read that there has been some form of celebration this time of year for centuries, if not millennia. The ancient Romans had Floralia, in honor of Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers. Those Romans had a god or goddess for everything and usually a ritual to match.

Beltane, also called Beltine, Irish Beltaine or Belltaine, was once celebrated in Ireland and Scotland. Cormac, king of Munster, (not Muncie, Indiana) was killed in 908. He described how cattle were driven between two bonfires on Beltane as a magical means of protecting them from disease before they were led into summer pastures — a custom still observed in Ireland in the 19th century. Other festivities included Maypole dances and cutting of green boughs and flowers. Cattle weren’t allowed to participate in those last two, much to their relief.

I’m sure that plenty of other pagan festivals that are long lost were once celebrated this time of year. Thanks to those party-hating Puritans and other killjoys, most of the once important rituals are forgotten. Many of the fertility rites guaranteeing good crops and healthy livestock have been replaced by science and we have lost the excuse to get together and do weird things.

 I’m glad that dancing around the Maypole is out of fashion. Pole dancing has a completely different connotation these days. A once-innocent tradition has been corrupted and dancing with poles is best left to others.

It may seem that winter is over and that it is completely safe to plant tender flowers and vegetables but the safe date isn’t official until Mother’s Day. As we know all too well, Mother Nature has her own idea of when it is prudent to plant. She also has been known to have a wicked sense of humor by following weeks of warm weather with a stray bit of snow or a hard frost. Plant if you must, but be aware that the possibility of cold still exists.

I confess, half of my garden is already planted. I put an empty pop bottle around the lone tomato as the evil squirrels have a bad habit of eating the plants as soon as I turn my back. The plastic provides protection from the squirrels as well as from the wind. Plus, it helps buffer any low temperatures. I’ll remove the bottle in a week or so once the plant is big enough to fend for itself.

One of my projects for this week is to push the boundary of common sense and plant the rest of the garden and at least some of the annual flowers. I have studiously avoided ordering from the plant catalogs that promise to make next year’s display even better.

The poor lilac by the garage has been the focus of my attentions lately. Most of the dead stuff has been removed thus limiting its ability to collect trash.

As I have mentioned before, my shrubs have a trash addiction. They hoard it around their bases and grumble when I take it away from them. They should be grateful they aren’t cows in ancient Ireland. They would panic if I were to build a bonfire anywhere near them.

Whether you celebrate May Day or not, I hope you enjoy the end of really cold weather. If it is warm enough, get outside and enjoy the renewed sense of energy that the season brings.

I promise not to laugh if you decide to dance around your very own Maypole.