Finland – Student Festival Vappu
During Viking times, the sowing season opened on May 1, which was celebrated in the best pagan traditions – with bonfires and dances. Nowadays, Vappu is the main student holiday. On the evening of April 30, young people put on white caps (a symbol of graduation from lyceum) and head together to the fountain of the naked maiden Havis Amanda.
A minute before 6 p.m., a similar headdress is put on the monument and champagne is opened, congratulating each other exuberantly. The most daring try to kiss the statue on the lips to gain luck in love and studies. It's no coincidence that the holiday's second name is Freedom Day: everyone behaves very uninhibitedly.
Vappu is celebrated not only in the capital of Finland but also in other cities of the country. For example, in Turku, a cap is put on the monument to Lilja, in Salo – on the sculpture of a blacksmith, and in Tampere, the head of the Maiden of Finland is adorned.
Scotland, Ireland – Festival of the Sun God Beltane
In Scotland, on Celtic Hill on the night of May 1, huge bonfires are lit and wild dances are held to drum rhythms. The same thing happens at this time in Ireland on the Hill of Uisneach. All is accompanied by performances by professional artists and folk ensembles.
The symbol of the Beltane holiday is hawthorn. Locals make wishes at the bush by tying colorful ribbons on it. The color of the fabric symbolizes a specific request: blue – a plea for protection, green – for prosperity and financial well-being, with a red ribbon they invoke love, and with a purple one – wisdom.
Each participant of the holiday tries to stand out: some dress in bright costumes, others paint their bodies, and some wear clothes made of fire-resistant materials...
England – May Day
In England, it is also customary to dress colorfully and dance energetically. In addition to national costumes, costumes of Green Jack (a well-known local character) are very popular.
One of the central objects of the holiday is the maypole, symbolizing the masculine principle. In reality, it is most often a pole or log with colorful ribbons and flower garlands. People dance around it in circles, unwinding bright strips of cloth from the pole. This symbolizes the creation of the world.
Germany – Walpurgis Night
They say that on top of Mount Brocken on May 1, local witches hold a grand sabbath. Mortal mysticism lovers from around the world gather at the foot of the hill on this day and hold their own costume show with songs and dances. The next day, everyone goes on a picnic in the forest, thoroughly stocked with beer. Little Germans are not left out either: at schools they draw and mold the main heroines of the holiday.
All spring holidays of Western European countries are, in one way or another, a variation of Walpurgis Night. Marvelous performances and pagan rites preserved from ancient times, sounds of old musical instruments, contests and diverse artists create a medieval atmosphere and allow one to feel transported to the distant past for a while.
Hawaii – Day of Flower Garlands Lei
On the other end of the earth, May Day is also celebrated with great fanfare. In Hawaii, they perform the folk dance hula, play the guitar, sing songs, hold fairs, beauty contests, and most importantly, weave flower garlands – leis. The same are given to every guest arriving in Hawaii on other days as well. Necklaces of orchids, jasmine, plumeria, and other plants perfectly reflect the beauty of local nature.
By the way, each Hawaiian island has its own traditional flower garland: on Oahu, leis are woven from yellow flowers, on Maui – from pink, and on the Big Island – from red. Weaving leis is a whole art, and local craftswomen are true artisans. Recently in Honolulu, they set a record – they wove a necklace 162.5 meters long.
USA – Bike Blessing Day
On the first Sunday of May in New York, a mass bike ride marks the day of Americans' introduction to two-wheeled transport. The bicycle was first brought to the USA from Great Britain in 1819, but local authorities initially considered it dangerous for health and banned it. Later, having understood all the joys of cycling, the veto was lifted, and the residents of the States simply fell in love with this means of transportation.
The Five Boro Bike Tour race starts at Battery Park and goes through five boroughs: Manhattan, Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn, and Staten Island. After a 68-kilometer ride, the racers are awaited by a traditional music festival with a buffet.
Italy – Ancient Flower Festival Floralia
In Sicily, they honor the goddess of flowers – Flora. The island's residents gather buttercups, daisies, poppies, and other meadow flowers, which, according to local beliefs, bring happiness. During this time, many young people take a brave step and propose to girls in an unusual way: they place a green branch at the door of their beloved. Ignoring this gesture by the girl means refusal, but if she takes the branch, then there will be a wedding.
France – Lily of the Valley Festival
Alongside the Day of Solidarity of Workers, on May 1 the French develop the floral motifs of their Mediterranean neighbors. Here on May Day, it is customary to give lilies of the valley to close ones, relatives, and sometimes even to complete strangers. The received sprig is carefully kept until the next holiday. There are also folk processions. The main role in the festive celebration is given to French cows, whose tails are decorated with flowers, and everyone around tries to touch the cloven-hoofed animals 'for good luck'.
It is said that the Communist Party of France makes a fortune on the holiday by selling bouquets of lilies of the valley for one euro each.
Based on materials from «Lenta.ru»