May Day
1st May 2026
We are well and truly into the spring term and there is some evidence of summer being just around the corner. The blue skies and bright days have helped a lot. That said, we don’t work or operate in a vacuum and there have been some significant challenges which our schools and college have had to face in the past few days. You may know what they are and each one of those will have impacted upon staff, pupils and students in different ways. Those staff, pupils and students have my admiration and full support as they continue to work with and for our children, young people and their families, whilst dealing with some of the most challenging personal and professional difficulties and news. I hope that the long weekend will give us all a chance to reset, recharge and reflect. I hope you enjoy whatever the three days might bring and we’re back at it on Tuesday, albeit for a short week.
We will all be celebrating and recognising May Day? Although, more recently, the first Monday of the month has been seen as the ’Workers’ Day’ and it’s been taken as a day of/for workers its roots and history are much deeper and go back further than an early 20th century political statement. Like many of our national cultural events, as this is an ancient country, we find that much of what we recognise in the modern era is from medieval or ancient history.
There’s the celestial influence, as we mark the point between the spring equinox and the summer equinox – so that’ll be the Druids then.
There’s the floral influence, as we honour and reflect upon the growth of our flowers, and some allusion to fertility – so that’ll be the Romans then.
There’ll be dancing around the maypole, may queens, feasting and dancing in the villages across medieval Britain – so that’ll be the pre-seventeenth century locals and yokels then.
For a time in the seventeenth century all May Day celebrations were banned – so that’ll be the puritans then.
Whatever the genus, it is a period of the year when looking forward seems the right thing to be doing, celebrating life, birth, growth and the coming summer months. Maybe that’s a decent point of reflection when we face the dark days, as some have done over the past week or so.
‘Sweet April showers do spring May flowers.’ Thomas Tusser
‘We know what we are, but know not what we may be’. William Shakespeare
Whatever the next few days may bring, I hope there is some joy.
And… May the Fourth be with you!