Dancing round the May Pole is a May Day tradition The government is considering scrapping the May Day Bank Holiday and creating a new public holiday in April or October. But what is the origin of our bank holidays and what do they tell us about the UK?It seems almost too good to be true. Waking up to another four-day weekend, the second in a row for England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Feels just a little bit indulgent.
But after an Easter weekend steeped in sunshine, most of us are only too happy to gobble up a double helping of bank holiday pudding, in the shape of the Royal Wedding and May Day.
But not everyone is feeling hungry for seconds. Not at Westminster anyway, where MPs have tabled a bill to scrap the May Day Bank Holiday in England and Wales and replace it with a new national day.
Under the proposals, the festivities would be moved to St George's Day in April in England and St David's Day in March in Wales, or a Trafalgar Day in October.
Ministers said the move would lengthen the tourist season, while business leaders are keen to spread out holidays to avoid a repeat of this year's 11-day bonanza, which some analysts estimate will cost the UK economy £30bn.
Spring and fertility
But the threat to May Day has riled both trade unions and rural traditionalists, for whom the first Monday is an agricultural festival whose roots stretch far beyond its modern association with Labour Day.
The curious history of our official bank holidays begins in 1871, when they were first recognised in an Act of Parliament authored by Sir John Lubbock. He was a banker who, it is said, was so keen on cricket he chose dates when village matches were played in his home county.
Mods and rocker would clash on Bank Holidays in the 60s In truth, "St Lubbock's Days", as they were briefly known, were all associated with important religious festivals and agricultural holidays, says Prof John K Walton, a historian of British and Spanish tourism and national identities at the University of the Basque Country.
"Our bank holidays were made by the Victorians, but they are rooted in traditions which run far deeper than the holidays themselves. They underlined existing days of celebration. Mid-August, for example, was a traditional time for seaside bathing holidays, even before the advent of the railways."
December holidays are often thought of as Christian inventions, but the dates coincide with holidays which predate Jesus' birth, says Prof Bernard Capp, a historian at Warwick University.
"When the puritans abolished Christmas in 1647, they banned it twice over because it was both pagan and Popish. They looked back in history and saw that Christmas was predated by the Roman Saturnalia."
The public responded violently to the ban, particularly in Canterbury where rioting and looting broke out.
Notorious day
"The repercussions led eventually to a rebellion and a second Civil War," says Capp.
But while Christmas survived the reformation, many other traditional holidays were lost, he adds.
"Before the protestant reformation every village had its saint. But the reformers got rid of that and smashed the places of worship. Saints' days were wiped out, but somehow St George survived. He became a national figure and his identity was enough to outweigh the Pope."
Continue reading the main story
New Year's Day; Good Friday; Royal wedding; May Day; Spring Bank Holiday; Christmas Day; Boxing Day
Easter Monday; Last Monday in August
2 January; First Monday in August; St Andrew's Day
St Patrick's Day; Easter Monday; The Twelfth; Last Monday in August
May Day only became an official bank holiday in 1971, associated strongly with International Workers' Rights day, which some think has marked it out as a political target.But its roots as a holiday stretch back to pre-Christian pagan festivals, and the Gaelic Beltane. The familiar rituals of dancing around the Maypole and the crowning of the May Queen made it a popular seasonal celebration in medieval England.
"May Day is associated with spring and fertility, the sowing of the seeds. It is a rural tradition," says Julie-Marie Strange, senior lecturer in Victorian Studies at the University of Manchester.
"It's things like May Day that remind us we were once an agricultural community. We've clung on to these traditions and I'm not sure why we'd want to get rid of them now."
When the industrial revolution came, working hours were no longer ruled by the agricultural seasons - they were ruled by the clock.
"For the factory bosses, the harvest had no relevance," says Strange. "It was all about getting as much work done in the daylight as possible. But the factories drew their workforce from the rural areas and that's where you get the clashes over time off."
Mondays were the biggest bone of contention, with working-class people deciding to take their own Monday holidays - known as Saint Mondays.
"It was a rural custom of taking Mondays off, or easy, that persisted in an industrial context", says Strange. "Although most employers tried to stamp it out."
Nostalgia
Bank holidays quickly got a bad reputation and were associated with working people drinking too much. The August bank holiday was especially notorious.
"With the hot weather and beer combo, fights would break out," says Strange. "And if you look right up to the 1960s, you see that mods and rockers tended to clash more on Bank Holiday Mondays too, down at the seaside in Margate."
People have protested over the threat to May Day But the holiday Mondays were not just about drinking, they were family days, rich in childhood memories and nostalgia.
"If you read Victorian autobiographies, bank holidays were always special," says Strange. "They were red letter days when you got a free day out of the everyday routine."
In working-class areas especially they were important for family and community cohesion. But as working culture changes, it has become harder and harder for everyone to get time off on the same day, says Walton.
"In the 1960s we had local town holidays, the days when the local factories closed. But once the factories went we lost all those, and with it that predictable holiday pattern.
"With the loss of Sunday, it's getting more and more difficult for families to arrange a holiday. The bank holiday is our last remnant of that culture where we could all go on holiday together."
Strange agrees: "The fashion today is for choice, but there are good things about our bank holidays. They remind us where we came from."
But will politicians agree with the historians? And more to the point, does the nation? It could be too close to call.
In a web-poll of over 4,000 Britons, less than half (43%) would like the May Day bank holiday left as it is. A third (36%) supported replacing it with a Trafalgar Day in October, while a fifth (18%) supported replacing it with a St George's Day public holiday in April.
Enjoy yourself this May Day. It may be one of your last.
(Yachats, Oregon) – From lighthouses that are lit up in other ways than the usual lamp, to whales, homemade pie and even a whodunit involving Santa Claus, Yachats and Florence know how to ring in the holidays. Various holiday music programs highlight the season, and there is food to dig into and some very downhome, hassle-free ways to go shopping. (Above Heceta Head Lighthouse provides an interesting holiday festival)December 2. Yachats Big Band Dance. 7 p.m. Suggested donation: Adults $5.00, under 12 free. Yachats Commons, Hwy 101 & W 4th St. (541) 265-2514.
December 3. Holiday Ornament Night. An evening of food, socializing and crafts. Open to all ages. A dinner is serve, followed by the selling of holiday craft items. Free. 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Yachats Community Presbyterian Church. 360 W 7th St. 541-547-4599. Yachats, Oregon.December 4 – 5. 83rd annual Yachats Ladies Club Holiday Bazaar. Crafts made by Ladies Club members include handknit items, aprons, quilts, afghans, wall hangings, home decor, table runners, pot holders, potato bakers, casserole carriers, bake sale table, gift baskets and much more. Saturday features lunch with pie. 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. Yachats Ladies Clubhouse, W 3rd and Pontiac. Yachats, Oregon. (541) 547-3205.
December 4. Dead in the Sled! Ho, Ho, Ho...OH NO! Dinner and mystery theater with a holiday theme held at the Overleaf Event Center. Find out whodunnit during an evening of laughter, food, and drama. Tickets are $45 per person and include dinner catered by the Drift Inn of Yachats. 6:30 p.m. Overleaf Lodge. 280 Overleaf Lodge Lane. Yachats, Oregon Call (541) 999-9281 or visit www.poisonpenplayers.orgDecember 6. Opening Ceremony for Yachats Winter Celebration. 7 - 7:30 p.m. 7:30-8:00 pm The Sweet Adelines sing holiday harmonies at the Yachats Ladies Club. Refreshments. Little Log Church & Yachats Ladies Club, W 3rd & Pontiac. Yachats, Oregon.December 11. Yachats Farmers' Market Holiday. Fair Arts and crafts vendors of the summer market show their wares at this annual holiday market. 10 am to 4 pm. Yachats, Oregon. (541) 528-7192.
December 11 – 12, and 18 – 19. 15th annual Victorian Christmas Open House, Heceta Lightkeepers' House. The Queen Ann-style Keeper's House will be decorated with Victorian flourishes inside and out. Enjoy warm drinks and treats and performances by local musicians. Santa Claus will be there. Historic tours of the lighthouse. Holiday raffle. Shuttle service from Heceta Head Lightstation State Scenic Area parking lot to the front door. Bring warm, rainproof clothing and a flashlight and enjoy a beautiful walk up from the parking lot/beach. Parking fee is $3 or present your Oregon Coast Passport. 4 – 7 p.m. The lightstation is 14 miles south of Yachats – about 10 miles north of Florence, Oregon. (541) 547-3696.December 12. Dicken's Tea & Holiday Fashion Show. Seasonal tea to celebrate winter solstice, fashion show from local designers. Admission $15. 2 p.m. Drift Inn Historic Cafe & Pub. 124 Hwy 101. Yachats, Oregon. (541) 547-4477.
December 12. There's a Song in the Air! Community Christmas Program featuring seasonal music performed by the Chancel Choir, Organ and Campanas Del Mar Handbells. 3 p.m. Yachats Community Presbyterian Church, 360 SW 7th St. Yachats, Oregon. (541) 547-3400.December 14. Combined Drum Circle - A Winter Solstice Celebration. 7 p.m. Yachats Commons, W 4th St & Hwy 101. Yachats, Oregon. (541) 547-4713.December 17. Let There Be Peace Concert. Yachats Village Ringers and guest instrumentalists perform carols from various countries and cultures as well as traditional favorites. 7 p.m. Yachats Commons, 441 Highway 101. Yachats, Oregon. (541) 547-4821.December 17 and 18. Holly Jolly Follies. 2nd Annual Christmas variety show, with over 100 local cast members and technicians. Comedy, drama, music and dance. Friday: 7 p.m. Saturday: 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Adults: $12, Kids under 12 years: $6. Florence Event Center. Florence, Oregon. 541-997-1994. www.hollyjollyfollies.us
December 19. Lions Pancake Breakfast with Santa. Breakfast includes all you can eat pancakes, eggs over easy, choice of ham or sausage, milk, tea, or coffee. 7:30 - 11:30 a.m. Yachats Lions Club, W 4th and Pontiac. Yachats, Oregon.December 19. Monmouth Taiko Drummers - A Winter Solstice Celebration. Drumming performance with the Yachats Belly Dancers. 2 p.m. Yachats Commons, Hwy 101 & W 4th St. (541) 547-4713.December 20. Bell Ringers Winter Solstice Concert. Bell Ringers, Hammered Dulcimer, Flute & Bodhran. 3 p.m. Little Log Church, W 3rd St & Pontiac. Yachats, Oregon. (541) 547-4713.
December 21. Solstice Night Bonfire. 4:30 p.m. Yachats Commons, Hwy 101 & W 4th St. (541) 547-4713.December 24. Christmas Dinner Served at the following Yachats restaurants Adobe Resort Restaurant, 541-547-3141, Drift Inn Historic Café & Pub, 541-547-4477, and Ona Restaurant, 541-547-6627.December 26 - Jan 2. Winter Whale Watch Week Whale watch interpreters will be posted at Cape Perpetua Visitors' Center & Cook's Chasm. 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.December 31. New Year's Eve Dinner at the Adobe Resort Restaurant, the Drift Inn Historic Cafe & Pub, Ona Restaurant and Roca Mar Restaurant. Live Music at the Drift Inn, Adobe Lounge, and Roca Mar Lounge. Masked Party at Ona Restaurant. More About Waldport, Yachats Restaurants, Dining..... More About Yachats Lodging .....