Happy May Day 2019! Is today a bank holiday in the UK and what traditions and quotes are there?
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, 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.
How is May Day celebrated around the world?
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.
What May Day quotes are there?
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:
- “Rough winds do shake the darling buds of May, And summer’s lease hath all too short a date.” - William Shakespeare
- “Among the changing months, May stands confest the sweetest, and in fairest colours dressed.” - James Thomson
- “April is a promise that May is bound to keep.” - Hal Borland
- “Spring is nature‘s way of saying, 'Let’s party!'" - Robin Williams
MORE SPECIAL DAYS IN THE UK CALENDAR
However, May Day also symbolises labour movements around the world.
Here are some quotes that represent those May Day vibes.
- "Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life." - Confucius
- "It is labour indeed that puts the difference on everything." - John Locke
- "We work to become, not to acquire." - Elbert Hubbard
- "Work keeps at bay three great evils: boredom, vice and need." - Voltaire