May Day

Home > ... > Sports and Everyday Life > Days and Holidays > Days, Months, Holidays, and Festivals > ...

Essential reading Compare
side-by-side The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition

May Day

May Day first day of May. Its celebration probably originated in the spring fertility festivals of India and Egypt. The festival of the Roman goddess of spring, Flora, was celebrated from Apr. 28 to May 3. In medieval England the chief feature of the celebration of May Day was the Maypole; this was decorated with flowers and streamers, the loose ends of which were held by dancers, who encircled the pole, weaving intricate patterns as they passed each other in the dance. These dances are still performed for exhibition purposes in England and the United States. The Second Socialist International in 1889 designated May Day as the holiday for labor, and since that time it has been the occasion for demonstrations, parades, and speeches among socialists and communists.

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

Give this article a thumbs-up on StumbleUpon

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

"May Day." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. 22 Dec. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"May Day." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Encyclopedia.com. (December 22, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-MayDay.html

"May Day." The Columbia Encyclopedia, Sixth Edition. 2008. Retrieved December 22, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1E1-MayDay.html

Learn more about citation styles

May Day

The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English | 2009 | © The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English 2009, originally published by Oxford University Press 2009. (Hide copyright information) Copyright

May Day • n. May 1, celebrated in many countries as a traditional springtime festival or as an international day honoring workers.

Create a link to this page

Copy and paste this link tag into your Web page or blog:

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

MLA
Chicago
APA

"May Day." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. 22 Dec. 2009 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

"May Day." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Encyclopedia.com. (December 22, 2009). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-mayday010.html

"May Day." The Oxford Pocket Dictionary of Current English. 2009. Retrieved December 22, 2009 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O999-mayday010.html

Learn more about citation styles

Related entries from encyclopedias, dictionaries and thesauruses

Rate these entries|See all related entries

Free newspaper and magazine articles

	Target Corporation Reports November Sales Results.(Financial report) Business Wire; 12/3/2009
	PicksThatMove.com Announces Investment Opinion on B2Gold Corp., UAL Corp., Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd., Groupe Aeroplan Inc. and Elite Pharmaceuticals Inc. Business Wire; 12/3/2009
	ECPI College of Technology and Medical Careers Institute Announce Extension for South Carolina Military Scholarship Opportunity. Business Wire; 12/3/2009

Facts and information from other sites

Related articles from newspapers, magazines, and more

	For December 9, 2009, CBS Transcript from: CBS The Early Show; 12/9/2009; ; 700+ words ; ...latest on the massive storm and where it`s headed next.After days of secret meetings, Senate Democrats have hammered out a health...they could be taking a huge risk of getting stranded and help may not be able to reach them.MAN #2: It was just really tough...
	For December 10, 2009, CBS Transcript from: CBS Morning News; 12/10/2009; ; 700+ words ; ...annoyed. The President won`t be sticking around for three days of festivities, but the President`s visit here will be brief...Alexandria, Virginia, mosque. Terror analysts say his case may be the latest example of U.S. citizens and residents reaching...
	USING TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE PERFORMANCE:ANEESH CHOPRA Transcript from: Congressional Testimony; 12/10/2009; 700+ words ; ...through openness. Since his first full day in office, whenhe issued the ``Transparency...readable formats. ``Machine- readable`` may sound like an odd requirement,but it is...reviewgovernment-wide information policies that may need updating or clarifyingto allow agencies...
	DRINKING WATER:ROBYN PIERCE Transcript from: Congressional Testimony; 12/10/2009; 700+ words ; ...water tests were doneon the same day by 3 firms. Two of the three...home and their ages. Later that day, Ireceived a call from a doctor...dust and water exposure? It may take years forthe effects of...to manifest themselves.Since May 2008, my family and other families...
	Pinheads & Patriots: Lindsay Lohan's Critics, Rep. Henry Brown Transcript from: The O'Reilly Factor (Fox News Network); 12/10/2009; ; 700+ words ; ...that attempts to celebrate a 'politically correct' holiday may cause the loss of some of the traditions sacred to this widely...when writing to "The Factor," do not be -- word of the day -- do not be turgid when writing to "The Factor." I'm not...
	SENATOR COLLINS CALLS TSA WEB POSTING OF AIRPORT SECURITY PROCEDURES ``SHOCKING`` AND ``RECKLESS`` Transcript from: Capitol Hill Press Releases; 12/8/2009; 655 words ; ...Affairs Committee. ``On the day before the SenateHomeland Security...and identify what further steps may need to be taken. Witnessesinclude...aviation security manual isdated May 28, 2008, with an implementation...NO PART OF THIS RECORD MAY BE DISCLOSEDTO PERSONS WITHOUT...
	Turk-Kurd Tensions Flare Despite P.M.'s Efforts Transcript from: NPR Morning Edition; 12/11/2009; ; 700+ words ; ...country's Kurdish minority more rights. Now, weeks later, he may not be able to deliver on that pledge. That's because today...turned into a riot when a protester was shot and killed. A day later, seven soldiers died in an ambush carried out by a faction...Mr. ELCI: Two months ago, there was big hope. But in ...
	Young Brits Revive Monocle Sales Transcript from: NPR Morning Edition; 12/11/2009; ; 217 words ; ...Young Brits with an eye for fashion, the old- fashioned, may be bringing back the monocle. London's Daily Telegraph reports...chain Vision Express will soon be selling monocles to modern day dandies. One can't quite see the fad crossing the Atlantic...
	Librarian Nancy Pearl's Under-The-Radar Holiday Books Transcript from: NPR Morning Edition; 12/10/2009; ; 700+ words ; ...Group. INSKEEP: These are relatively elite troops. They may be doing especially difficult jobs, okay. Ms. PEARL: Yes. Yes. And he talks about their experiences as they go day by day. And their experience, I mean, it's like dull, dull...
	EVENING NEWS for December 11, 2009, CBS Transcript from: CBS Evening News; 12/11/2009; ; 700+ words ; ...groups, three flying out on November 28th; the other two a day later. Sources say the five flew through England and met up...who planned to go over to Pakistan together to engage in what may have been training or attacks.ORR: Families and friends who...