Superstitions of May Day Are World-Wide
By Joyce Outshoorn
If you want to be beautiful—wash your face on May Day morning—and you'll have a lovely skin.
This is just one of the customs attached to May Day, which has had special significance dating from the ancient Egyptians.
During the years, the significance has changed, the latest addition being the Socialist and Communist celebration of the first of May. It is their Labor day.
Going back into history, there is some disagreement over the origin of May Day celebration. Some say the celebration dates back to the Egyptian and Indian spring festivals. Others, reminded by the many May poles and trees, say it is a custom derived from the tree worship of the ancient Druids.
HOWEVER IT BEGAN, we know that the Romans celebrated it as the day of Flora, the goddess of flowers. It was a day, which like the ancient
Egyptian spring festivals, was used to banish winter and welcome spring. It marked the revival of life after winter, and was a fertility rite for crops. This meaning was later extended to cattle and humans.
200
With the coming of Christianity, May Day did not lose its popularity. It was especially popular in Medieval and Tudor England.
May Day was a big holiday on which people danced round the well-known Maypole, decorated with brightly colored ribbons. A May king and a May queen were chosen.
The Puritans discontinued the custom when they took over in the 17th century. But with the death of Cromwell in 1658 the custom was revived. The Maypole was also popular in Germany, France, the Netherlands, Belgium, the Scandinavian countries and the West-Slavic countries. The pole or tree was either an evergreen, which symbolized eternal strength,
or a deciduous tree, whose budding leaves symbolized growth.
In Scandinavia May Day meant the banishing of winter and the welcoming of the new season. A dressed dummy was thrown into the water and a May king chosen symbolizing spring.
IN PARTS OF GERMANY young men placed twigs outside the doors of the houses of their sweethearts. The Swiss went a little further, placing a whole tree outside the door. The Germans also lit bonfires, and sang special May songs. This is still done in parts of Belgium.
In Southern Holland the young men choose a special sweetheart with whom they go to church for the rest of the month.
In Scotland and Ireland, and other Celtic countries, bonfres were part of the tradition. In Italy, May Day was the best day for serenading. In France the day was christianized. The whole month of May is
May Day has never been too popular in America. The austere pilgrims frowned upon it and only after their influence abated, was there any form of celebration. Today May parties and songs for children are the only remnants of the tradition.
dedicated to the Virgin Mary, and each church chooses its own queen.
Nor is there much of the old May Day remaining in Europe. Maypoles and May trees are used occasionally in smaller villages but are there primarily for tourist purposes.
BUT MAY DAY has come to have another significance in Europe—that of the International Day of Labor.
Labor Day on May 1 was officially chosen in Paris at the First Congress
of the Second Socialist International. A motion was passed to make May 1 a holiday regardless of the day it fell on. It was finally recognized in most countries, but not without bloody fights with the police.
May is generally selected by labor unions, socialists, and communist parties for a public celebration. It is observed in nearly all industrial countries, except Canada and the United States. Here the first Monday in September serves as Labor Day.
Today, France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, and Italy hold May 1 as an official holiday, while in England the first Sunday of May is recognized as such. The main difference between the European and American Labor Day is that in America all classes participate, while in Europe it has remained a working class holiday.
One of the most spectacular May Day celebrations is, of course, the Communist version. In all capitals of Communist countries and other cities it is the great holiday on which the leaders of the countries regard their achievements and hold propaganda speeches.
HIGHLIGHTS OF THE program
Daily hansan
(Continued on page 12)
62nd Year, No.126
LAWRENCE. KANSAS
(Photo by Don Black)
Friday, April 30, 1965
SADIE HAWKINS STYLE—Bill Fenton, Kansas City sophomore, tries to free himself from three Delta Delta Delta's who are determined to steal his derby. Coeds—running, falling, grabbing—were seen all over campus today as they helped open the annual Sigma Chi Derby weekend by snatching as many of the cherished der-
bies sported by Sigma Chi's as possible. Each women's living group on campus was out to get as many of the derbies off Sigma heads as they could, accumulating one point per derby. The group with the highest number of points will win this phase of the fraternity's annual fete.
Sculptor Will Finish Senior Gift; Tablet to Display Original Design
A wood and bronze tablet, commemorating those KU professors who have been awarded "Distinguished Professorships" was selected as the class of 1965's gift to KU.
Dave Martin, Coffeyville senior and Senior Gift committee chairman, said the tablet would be placed in the main entrance to Watson Memorial Library.
the seniors chose the gift from a list of three at the Senior Coffee last Wednesday morning.
THE SIX FEET HIGH and four feet wide structure will have a wooden base and bronze casting adorned with original bas-relief sculpture.
Martin said his committee wanted to select someone who is familiar with the KU traditions and background.
Martin said his committee has not selected the sculpture but he will probably be a member of the University community.
This title, initiated about seven years ago, is the highest honor which the university can confer upon a professor. They are chosen by the administration upon recommendations by the various schools and departments.
Asked what the sculpturing would be like, Martin explained that it would be up to the artist with the approval of the Senior Gift committee.
Skies will be fair and the temperatures quite warm Saturday, according to the weather bureau. Southwesterly winds from 25-30 miles an hour are expected. The overnight low tonight is expected to be in the upper 50's.
Weather
THE TABLET WILL list the year in which Distinguished Professors received the title and their area of major interest. KU presently has sixteen Distinguished Professors.
Martin stated that a distinguished professorship provides the professors with about $4500 extra in salary a year and allows them more time for individual work and research.
"We can probably put about 100 to 125 names on the tablet, Martin said. The art company in New York which will cast the tablet from a model constructed at KU, has guaranteed that it will last about 40 or 50 years at its present specifications," he added.
"The tablet can be rebuilt easily to accommodate more names when it becomes necessary—so it will last forever." Martin emphasized.
The other two suggestions were to refurbish the English Room in the Kansas Union or to establish a senior scholarship fund for seniors who had been enrolled at least five semesters. The fund would have been based on scholarship, need, and service to the KU community.
U.S. Girds Forces In Dominican Fight
SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic — (UPI) — American paratroopers were airlifted into Santo Domingo today to join U.S. Marines already there protecting the lives of 1,000 U.S. citizens.
The paratroopers, 2,500 members of the U.S. Army's crack 82nd Airborne Division, joined 1,700 fleet-based Marines deployed around American positions in the city.
The 4,200 Americans outnumbered remaining American nationals by about four-to-one. An estimated 1,500 Americans of the 2,300 originally estimated in the country have been evacuated.
In Washington, military sources said additional U.S. troops have been alerted to move into the Dominican republic if and when needed.
High Washington officials continued to insist that the troops were mainly to protect American lives in the strike-torn Dominican capital. But they obviously were concerned about the prospect of Castro-adominated Communists taking over the rebel movement there.
U. S. Embassy officials here said the Marines and paratroopers had taken no action to engage the rebel forces, but had been authorized to defend themselves if attacked.
The embassy said "law and order have ceased to exist" in Santo Domingo where at least 400 Dominicans have been killed and 1,200 wounded since Saturday.
America's use of troops to protect its citizens drew alarmed protests from political leaders in a number of Latin American countries. The Organization of American States called new-world foreign ministers to a meeting in Washington Saturday to consider the situation
The first American clash with the rebels occurred Thursday, when Marine guards at the U.S. Embassy killed at least two and perhaps four of a band of snipers who were shooting at the embassy. Loyal Dominican troops in the area killed three more of the snipers.
AT LEAST FIVE Latin American embassies here also came under attack, with unannounced results.
The paratroopers, two battalions of the Army's 82nd Airborne Division, landed at San Isidro Airbase outside Santo Domingo. San Isidro, the headquarters of loyalist forces led by air force Brig. Gen. Elias Wessin, is the only operational airfield in the area.
The Marines began landing Wednesday from a naval task force led by the helicopter carrier Boxer which was sent in to provide transportation for American and other foreign civilians who wanted to leave the country.
Marine fliers brought in food and medical supplies yesterday for loyalist forces. U.S. officials said food and medicine will be made available for civilians as soon as a cease-fire can be arranged.
MORE THAN 1,000 refugees were ferried to Puerto Rico Wednesday, and others continued to leave in diminishing numbers.
Bomb Threat Postpones Chemistry Test in Malott
A bomb threat by an anonymous telephone call, which may have been aimed at postponing a chemistry examination at Malott Hall last night, turned out to be a hoax.
The Lawrence City Police received a phone call at 6:58 p.m. last night from an anonymous caller who said a bomb had been planted at Malot Hall to go off at 7:20 p.m.
The KU Traffic and Security office was alerted and an officer was immediately dispatched to Malott to activate the fire alarm system.
After the building had been evacuated. Traffic and Security officers were stationed at the doors to prevent persons from entering.
After a thorough search of the building by members of the departments of chemistry, physics and pharmacy and by the building and grounds crew, the building was declared safe for re-entry at 8:15 p.m.
Vice-Chancellor Keith Lawton, who was immediately notified of the search, said about 50 people had to be evacuated from the building.
A chemistry examination was scheduled for Malott Hall at 7:39 p.m.