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Archive for the 'May Day' Category
Contents
Posts
A Nursery Rhyme Story and Illustration
Wednesday, May 20th, 2009Young nursery rhyme lovers will enjoy this little story featuring Mother Goose characters. Kids who aren’t familiar with a lot of nursery rhymes can learn new ones. I made each character linkable to a page where you can read that character’s rhyme. At the end of the story is an illustration that includes many of these beloved nursery rhyme characters.
MOTHER GOOSE’S MAY PARTY.
BY AGNES CARR.
It was May-day, and the sun popped out of bed early that morning to wake up the little birds and flowers, that they might clear their throats, and wash their bright faces in dew, by the time the old woman had swept the cobwebs from the sky, and left a beautiful blue roof over Gooseneck village; for they knew it was the 1st of May, and that dear old Mother Goose, who taught the Kindergarten, or infant school, was going with all her little scholars to have a May party under the trees in the merry green wood.
And the children knew it too, and they were all on hand bright and early- Tommy Green and Johnny Stout, Humpty Dumpty and Little Bo-peep, Jack and Jill, Little Boy Blue in a brand-new suit of clothes, and Goldilocks with her yellow hair flying in the wind, Tom, the Piper’s son, and poor Simple Simon, the dunce of the school, with many others that we have known and loved-and all brought baskets filled with good things for their dinner.
"Oh, won’t we have fun!" said Margery Daw to Jacky Horner. "I hope you have got something nice in that big basket of yours."
"Yes, indeed," said Jack. "Cook made me a lovely pie, and stuffed it just full of plums. I will try and pull one out for you;" and he lifted up the napkin over the basket, and was trying to break a hole in the pie-crust, when Mother Goose came in, and seeing him, said, "Here, here, Master Jack! keep your fingers out of the pie. I never saw such a boy. He sticks his thumb into everything, from Christmas pies to inkstands."
"Oh, Mother Goose, do let us start!" shouted the children.
"Yes, yes, my dears, very soon. We are only waiting for Contrary Mary. I have sent Nimble Dick for her; and here they come now."
Sure enough, there was heard a jingling of bells, and in danced Mary, quite contrary, with her fingers covered with rings, and her apron filled with flowers from her garden, with which to make a wreath for the May-Queen.
And now they all started, walking two and two, with Mother Goose at the head, holding the youngest scholar, Baby Bunting, tight by the hand, for fear he should fall down and tear his new rabbit-skin overcoat, while Tom, the Piper’s son, played "Over the hills and far away" on his pipe, and all the little folks danced and skipped along to the gay tune.
When they reached the pleasant wood, they were all glad to sit down on the green moss and rest awhile; and Mother Goose said, "The first thing is to choose a May-Queen: now who shall it be?"
"Goldilocks!" "Goldilocks!" shouted the children, for they all loved the dear little girl with pretty hair and sweet blue eyes.
"Oh, no, no!" said Goldilocks, and she hid behind Tommy Tucker.
But they made her come out and sit on a throne formed of Miss Muffet’s tuffet, scattered over with wild violets and May-flowers, which grew all around; and Contrary Mary put a beautiful crown of "roses and lilies and daffadown-dillies" on her golden curls, and she looked just the dearest little May-Queen in all the world.
Then all the children joined hands, and danced round the throne, singing,
"Hail to the Queen of May
On this our festal day!
Gay flowers we’ll bring,
Sweet blossoms of spring,
To crown our Queen of May."The little Queen then gave each one a flower, and let them kneel and kiss her tiny white hand; and then they scattered through the woods, and played "Oats, peas, beans," tag, and other games, until Little Boy Blue blew a blast on his horn, which meant "Come to dinner"; and when they all came running back at the call, they found Mother Goose had a table-cloth spread on the grass, and all the biscuits, cake, and fruit from their baskets set out on green leaves, while in the centre stood Jack Horner’s pie, a bowl of curds and whey that Miss Muffet brought, and a plate of strawberry tarts sent by the Queen of Hearts; and Jack and Jill were bringing a pail of nice cold water from the spring.
How hungry they all were, too, and how good everything tasted! while they had such a laugh at little Miss Muffet, who screamed and ran away when a great daddy-long-legs walked across the table.
They ended the feast with the plum pie, which the little Queen cut, and gave every one a piece; and they all said it was so nice. Jack Horner felt quite proud, and thought he was a bigger boy than ever.
After everything was eaten up, Margery Daw and Little Bo-peep washed the dishes, while Little Boy Blue went fast asleep under the fence, and Mother Goose told all the little ones a story, until the cobwebs began to come over the sky, and the sun whispered to the little birds and flowers it was time to shut their peepers for the night, when they started for home, Goldilocks the Queen riding in the middle of the procession on big John Stout’s shoulder; and when they bade their teacher a tired but happy good-night, all said they had had the nicest kind of a day, and hoped next year Mother Goose would give them another May party.
GOING HOME FROM THE PICNIC.-Drawn by Jessie Curtis.
This seems to be the order of characters in the illustration above: Simple Simon, Contrary Mary, Tommy Tucker, Little Bo-peep, Tommy Green or Johnny Stout, Humpty Dumpty, Nimble Dick holding Goldilocks, Little Boy Blue, Tom, the Piper’s son, Jack and Jill, and Mother Goose carrying Baby Bunting
Enjoy!
Mama Lisa
May Holidays in France
Wednesday, April 30th, 2008Monique Palomares of Mama Lisa’s World en français (our site devoted to children’s songs around the world with their French translations) sent me this short post about public holidays in France in May…
It’s too bad for French people this year! Usually, May 1st and Ascension Day are separate public holidays, but this year Ascension Day falls on May 1st. So French people only get the one holiday off.
Ascension Day is a Christian Holiday that celebrates when Jesus is believed to have ascended bodily into Heaven (40 days after his resurrection).
May 1st is Labor Day in France. We give our family, friends etc. a sprig of lily-of-the-valley as a good luck charm if we visit them.
On May 8th, we celebrate the surrender of Nazi Germany – which was the end of WWII for us. The mayor of each town places flowers at the foot of the Monument to the Dead in each town. The president of the Republic places one on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier below the Arc de Triomphe in Paris.
Come read a previous post about Why May 1st is Labor Day Around the World (Its origin stems in US history).
Question regarding a Saying about the First of May
Monday, May 1st, 2006I received this email today…
Do you know the words to:
First of May is Petticoat Day;
Second of May is shoelace Day;What comes next?
Thank You,
Rose Ann
If anyone knows the words to this saying, please comment below.
Thanks!
-Lisa
May Day – Labor Day Marches and Rallies Around the World
Monday, May 1st, 2006In an earlier entry, I wrote about the history of Labor Day.
In case you were wondering, here are some of the countries where demonstrations were held or where Labor Day was in some way honored around the world today (in some cases against the wishes of the government)…
Russia
Belarus
Japan
Germany
Italy
Philippines
Cambodia
Indonesia
Malaysia
South Korea
Malta
Mexico
France
Nepal
Portugal
Sri Lanka
Nigeria
Turkey
Iran
Great BritainFeel free to comment below about your country’s Labor Day traditions.
-Lisa
May 1st in France
Sunday, April 30th, 2006By Monique Palomares
May 1st : this day has been a protest day in France since 1889 as a tribute to the workers of Chicago who died during the riots in 1886.
It was a day off dedicated to demonstrations (off, but unpaid). It’s been a (paid) public holiday since 1947. There are workers and trade unions that still hold demonstrations, though they tend to be less important than in the past.
Lily of the Valley is sold everywhere in France on May Day. Originally, people used to give a sprig of it as a symbol of Spring in the Paris area (you can’t find wild Lily of the Valley in the South of France). Now Lily of the Valley is also a symbol of Labor Day.
Monique works with me on Mama Lisa’s World en français. – LisaHere’s more information about Labor Day around the world.
May 1st is Labor Day in some countries, though its significance stems from events in the U.S.
Saturday, April 29th, 2006On May 1, 1856, workers in Australia decided to strike for one day to demand an eight hour work day.
Thirty years later, in the American city of Chicago, workers made the same demand. Inspired by the Australians, they too began their strike on May 1st. Demonstrations went on, and by May 3rd someone involved was killed.
This led to more protests the next day. As the police started to disperse the crowd, a bomb exploded and 8 policemen were fatally injured.
The next day the police rounded up some of the key players in the demonstrations. Eventually eight men were brought to trial. Though there was never evidence linking them to the bomb, they were found guilty and the judge sentenced them to death. Four of them were hanged and another committed suicide while in jail. In 1893 the other three men were pardoned by the governor.
Oddly enough, it’s several other countries that remembered the significance of the events in Chicago on May 1st. Those countries made their Labor Day holiday on May Day.
The US government didn’t want to bring attention to the history of May 1st, so they made Labor Day a holiday in September. That’s why many Americans aren’t familiar with the significance of May 1st and that its history started in their own country.
UPDATE: In a later post I list some of the countries that celebrate Labor Day on May 1st.
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