The convergence of holiday memes, and the emergence of new ones, is part of the joy of living in an evolving cultural landscape. For example, I can't say I've ever really gotten into the Christian part of Easter, although when I was thirteen on Ash Wednesday the pastor said to me, "woman, you are dust, and to dust you shall return," (instead of child) and I felt very grown-up. But my favorite part has always been the Peeps (especially Peep Jerky!), and I love the David Sedaris story about getting cartons of cigarettes for Easter.

The first I knew about May Day as a kid was the leaving-flowers-on-your-neighbors'-doorsteps thing. You ring the bell, then run away, and they come out to find flowers. Then I learned about the labor aspect, then the fertility thing. Fair enough: the folks didn't want to discuss the symbolism of a Maypole with a five-year-old. It seems like now it's developing into a more generic human-solidarity holiday, which makes sense given the slow dissolution of the middle class and traditional working class and the growth of the "working poor" and underclasses. A 20th century labor holiday might not suit us anymore. Some of our workers are homeless, some are undocumented workers; they are conservative and liberal and weird and normal and don't have much in common anymore, or at least that they have the time to discern. These are some ideas that I started kicking around two May Days ago: What is a worker? What is a contribution to the community (be it local, national, or international)? Who needs solidarity? What is our common ground as people, as Americans, (good God, yes, even) as Olympians?

Any thoughts?

 Peeps Jerky?  You are sick and twisted!  :-)  

I never gave much thought to May Day, in fact never saw it celebrated until I moved here.

Can't say I'm much into that whole worker solidarity thing, and I've done everything from dig ditches in the SoCal hardpan with jackhammers to management.  I've always been a bit of a loner in the whole selling my labor thing, mainly working as an independent contractor.  I always have more fun that way as opposed to being an hourly wage slave, plus I've never seen eye to eye politically with a lot of Unions or their organization.  Too much radical wobblie in their past usually.  

But I digress.  The simple enjoying spring and fertility bit of may day should be fun and happy.  I love springtime.  In fact I finished paying off two new and very important parts for my boat, and Libertarian should be whole again soon.  I can't wait to get back under sail!