May Day History & Setting May Day is a celebration of the arrival of Summer (the Spontoon Archipelago does have seasons), worker & labor union solidarity, innovative anarchy, and a breathing space between the preparations for the tourist season and the actual arrival of most tour cruises (which start arriving after mid-May). All of these causes have a part in the celebrations, and they have also blended together. The "native" Spontoonie population was made up of imported workers from many different cultures. Some of these cultures did celebrate seasonal changes. When the 'Customs' of Spontoon Island were being constructed, the first week of May was a chosen time for celebrating the start of the warmer Summer weather. Costume gets lighter-weight, and some of the locals get friskier. This week was a time for visiting other villages, festivals and camping on Meeting Island. This motive of May Day week celebrations continue through current times. May Day on the Spontoon Archipelago started being celebrated as an unofficial labor festival in 1913. This is from the influence of the Rain Coast military syndicate units based on Moon Island and Eastern Island, and in appreciation of the famous May Day parties thrown by the Blimp Syndicates and the DeFucas Seaplane Syndicate. Some Euro-influenced Union & Syndicate groups had been having small May Day events since the 1880s. For all the old stories of free-wheeling syndicate party picnics, the Rain Coast influence on May Day has a more reserved flavor. The culture of the Rain Island Naval Syndicate and many of the Rain Coast syndicates consider this a celebration of workers, and also a celebration of *working*. One can be festive for a day by getting a job done for your appreciative fellow citizens. That does allow for festive 'dress-up' or decorating a workplace, or having a special afternoon break --as examples of being May Day festive while on-the-job. This attitude is a good fit for the culture of the military syndicates and other vital service jobs. In some co-operatives, some of the people will be allowed take May Day off for celebration, but it is also understood that "some people gots to work!" That is why the Saturday or Sunday following May Day is also a day for holiday events. Usually, if a syndicate worker has to work on May Day, they will have time off on that following day. The anarchist & anarchist-syndicate flavored political Spontoonies had a strong influence on the early celebrations of May Day. They really wanted the celebration to be shaped by "the people". The end result of their early May Day planning debates in the early 1920s (and several early May Day events), is the cultural myth that the May Day celebration is "Unofficial": Every year, one of the major administrative Ministries (Committees) is tasked with making the Official Announcement that the May Day celebration is "forbidden as an official celebration". Of course, by custom, the May Day celebrations happen anyway, and the events are planned and coordinated with the various administrative committees included in the information loop. Since the late 1920s, with the regular arrival of tourist-season cruise ships, May Day has also become a celebration of the preparations for welcoming tourists, and the start of the tourist-season. Repairs, cleanup and re-stock for tourist hotels and entertainment have been finishing up in March and April. Workers in the tourist-based industries move into summer housing near their work in the last half of April. Non-resident workers coming in from the outer islands are also arriving at this time. There are longhouse barracks or contract-huts in many home compounds on the tourist-accessible islands: Casino, Southern & Eastern Island. Summer workers settle in, meet their fellow workers and finish training and preparation if needed. May Day is a holiday break in this preparation time, and recognizes these workers' contribution to the Spontoon culture & economy. Finances As fitting a working class holiday, much of the labor and costs are donated and traded "to fellow workers". Most cash costs for small group activities are donated by group members and local committees. Some major costs are subsidized by the local corporations, syndicates, co-ops, and Althing committees. The values of this workers' holiday are considered worth the capital spent. Ken Fletcher 24 April 2007 27 April 2008 This information and text is released to Public Domain. |