When I was young and the community was in its infancy we celebrated May Day with great exuberance.  It was a celebration of spring and a welcoming of the sun and longer, warmer days.  The tetherball pole that stood on the church/school playground was transformed into a May Pole. Children were hand selected to participate in decorating the May Pole, adorning it with ribbons and wrapped in joy. The spring I was invited to participate in decorating the May Pole was one of the happiest days of my young life.  Following the decorating of the May Pole the members of the community celebrated with pot luck picnic and free play. Not long after that particular event one of the members pointed out that May Day was Pagan holiday and that joyous occasion was replaced each spring with Field Day.  The celebration of spring was replaced with a day of personal strength and competition.

I recently went in search of…