Mon Apr 28 2008
Once upon a time, May Day represented the chance for a good old-fashioned demo – usually ending up in a lively ruckus between some ageing anarchists and the old bill. These days the bank holiday's just another excuse to go shopping. Isn't it time to reclaim May Day? Not with Stalinist-style worker's parades, but with a series of London-wide street parties to celebrate our basic freedoms and civil liberties, which are sadly disappearing before our eyes?
Guerilla campaigners the Space Hijackers have got the right idea and are organising a May Day street party to celebrate the last May fair, held in London in 1708, and to be followed by a re-enactment by the Metropolitan Police Players of the police's historic role in clamping down on May Day activities. Should be riotous! Does May Day have any meaning for you? Let us know.
Get details of the May Day party here .
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2 comments
I am a Pagan - May-Day is a Pagan celebration. It is one of the four main sabbaths of the Pagan year. It (also Beltaine) is supposed to be riotous - after all, in Pagan lore, it is a celebration, not just of spring and its rites but also of sex.
No wonder the puritanical killjoys want to play it down.
However, notwithstanding the parts that might offend certain other religious sensibilities, it seems to me that anything which is a celebration of the indigenous culture of these isles (which is not, however much befrocked clerics and sanctimonious MPs might protest, Christian), is trampled underfoot in favour of things like Diwali, Black History Month and so forth. While I respect Hindus and Negros, Hinduism is not indigenous to these isles and whilst I acknowledge the slave trade was abhorrent, when anyone mentions the name Mulai Ismail, I notice all the PC liberals having a hissy desperate to get the offender to shut up.
By all means, celebrate Negroid culture. By all means, let's celebrate the Festival of Lights. But the indigenous festivals should be given at least equal prominence.
It is perhaps not surprising that the Powers That Be (the digit of damnation points squarely at adenoidal lizard Ken Livingstone), ignores requests to think about the siting of a Maypole in the Westminster locale which takes its name from the May Faire...
Being a Pagan, May Day...Beltane is very important to me. Not only does it represent fertility, it's a time to enjoy and celebrate life's lust. Mayfair in London was the place to be at one time as it always celebrated May 1st. At least it kept the name Mayfair.
Happy Beltane to all Time Out Readers from the Troubadour's of Ablion