May Day

International Workers' Day

Throughout most of the world May Day is Labour Day. Not in the United States and that is strange because the event being remembered happened in Chicago. In Haymarket Square, 1886, a bomb was thrown at a labor rally resulting in a police riot. While the rest of the world sees the date as a key moment for worker's rights, the United States was afraid of the connection and set its labor day at the end of summer.

Walpurgisnacht

Yet another example of Christianity absorbing a pagan holiday. May Day is a traditional spring festival with bonfires and young girls dancing around poles.

Mayday! Mayday!
As one word, mayday is a distress code from the French venez m'aider, meaning "come help me!"