Celebrate and honor those whom died for your freedoms

In 1997 I was walking down 17th St. Nw and was "lucky" to catch a Mayday parade by a group of International Socialist, with red flags, banners, and fliers: lookin like they were 'bulls on parade'.
Well, I thought, it is about time...where ya been, see it was May the 3rd not the first. As a gleefull young "red" handeded me a piece of literature, I asked in amazement: "what took you so long, Mayday was two days ago?"
She looked at me and said: "I know, but the bosses would not give us the day off," and then skipped away and joined the blocks long parade; I yelled, "isn't that the reason why you are supposed to march on Mayday...?
In disgust, I turned my back walked away and vowed to have a parade next year on Mayday.

Well, I stuck to my word and did organize a parade which only attracted 10 people, 6 I did not know(5 anarchists, and a pagan) but we did march and celebrate while the so called Socialist marched again the next day Saturday: like celebrating Christmas on the 26th.

Here is one of the flyer's I used to bring context and background to this international holiday:

Mayday is Beltane

Beltane or Mayday is the last of the three spring fertility festivals, and the second major Celtic festivals. Beltane and its counterpart Samhain, divide the year into its two primary seasons, Summer and Winter. Putting a maypole up involved taking a growing tree from the wood, and bringing it to mark the oncoming season of the summer. Mayday used to be period of great sexual license. People would go off into the woods to collect their trees and green boughs, but once there, would enter enter into all sorts of temporary sexual liaisons which society did not normally accept.

IS SEX FREEDOM...
OR BONDAGE ?

The puritans also objected to Mayday and other festivals because of the way social hierarchy was set aside, so that all were commonly involved, from highest to the lowest. The puritans found this offensive much preferring strict gradations in society. Mayday did return with the restoration of Charles II in 1600. The elements of sexual license and social reversal went underground. Then in the nineteenth century, the Victorians overlaid a much more moral tone on the festival, emphasizing its innocence. Instead of being a celebration of fertility, it turned into a commemoration of Merri England; the girls taking part wore white and held posies.
Mayday is the one festival of the year for which there is no significant church service. Because of this it has always been a strong secular festival, particularly among working people who in previous centuries would take the day off to celebrate it as a holiday, often clandestinely without the support of their employer.


Time does not stand still and neither should you or I: go out and celebrate, find your maypole, flag, banner, or sow a seed or plant; just take this day for yourself to do something to bring new life to this world.

Peace and love