And just like that, winter had ended and the sun felt amazing hitting your skin. Costa Rica La Minita had arrived and May Day was here. May 1st has become a day for workers to come together and demand better working conditions, fair wages and other labor rights. In many countries, labor unions and other worker organizations hold parades, rallies, and other events to celebrate the achievements of the labor movement and to call for further improvements in working conditions. It’s also a day for political activism and social justice, and a time for protests and demonstrations on a wide range of issues, from environmentalism to anti-war activism to LGBTQ+ rights. May Day has become a day for people to come together and demand a more just and equitable society for all.
The Meaning of the Maypole
Originally, the maypole was a living tree. On May 1st you danced around the tree.
Those ribbon-weaving dancers are either pairs of boys and girls (with girls taking one color of ribbons and boys the other), or a group of multiple ages where younger dancers take the inside of the circle and older dancers the outside. Either way, the maypole itself is a splendid reminder that spring has sprung and rebirth has begun.
Spring wouldn't feel so alive if winters weren't so cold and harsh. The blue sky and warm sun makes one want to dance around the tree to celebrate the beginning of summer.
I'm not sure coffee ever factored into May Day celebrations, but May means our Central American coffees are arriving. More Costa Ricans are days away. Mexico soon. Then Nicaragua, Honduras, Guatemala. Panama, El Salvador. So much anticipation and excitement.