In the UK, May Day has long been a celebration of springtime, with the Maypole festivities and Morris dancing among the ways that Brits mark the end of the winter months.
However, for those relocating to overseas property the celebration could have a slightly different tone, although the date of May 1st is still a significant one, as it marks international Labour Day in many countries and a chance to highlight the improvements made over the years in employment and working conditions.
May Day in Florida
Among the most recent festivities introduced on May Day are the observations in Florida of the rights of newcomers to America for equality and freedom.
While the Florida May Day Federation, which coordinates these activities, was founded in spring 2005, it is not the first organisation in the US to use the date to observe the desire for freedom among the nation’s citizens.
As long ago as 1886, workers in the US went on strike as they tried to ensure that working days moved towards an eight-hour standard – an event that led to May Day being observed worldwide.
However, it is not the only significant event that occurs on May 1st in the US, as anyone relocating to property in Florida could soon find out.
In 1958, the US Congress declared the date to be the annual Loyalty Day, which is only celebrated in some parts of the country with ceremonies and parades and – unlike the work to observe newcomers’ freedom – instead recognises the heritage of American freedom in general.
May Day in France
Similar festivities await people who relocate to property in France ahead of May 1st, where freedom and fair working conditions also play an important part in the history of the date.
Here, similar strike action took place to attempt to have the eight-hour working day adopted as standard, this time in 1891 having been called for by the first congress of the Second International the previous year.
The Maypole is also an important symbol in France, having been adopted as the ‘Tree of Liberty’ during the French Revolution and potentially playing a part in centring the fight for fair employment on the date.
May Day in Spain
Following a move to property in Spain, May Day could again become an important date for Britons abroad, again due to the celebration of Labour Day.
Celebrations closer to those held in the UK on May Day can be found across Spain in the weeks leading up to the date, as fiestas take place throughout April in order to make Lent less boring.
Moving into May itself, the Seville Fair normally falls around the boundary between the two months and is followed by a number of other fairs across the country.
May Day in Italy
People moving to property in Italy’s Sardinian community of Cagliari can join in one of the longest-running celebrations to still take place each May 1st.
The Sagra di Sant Efisio, or Festival of Sant’ Efisio, recognises the apparent intervention of an Italian saint in ending a plague that eliminated half of the Cagliari population in the 1650s.
In an attempt to prevent the continuation of the disease, the municipality of Cagliari pledged to honour the saint every year with a parade if he were able to put a halt to the plague.
Shortly afterwards, the disease died out – and the community continues to honour its pledge to this day.
As a result, people moving to property in Italy could find May 1st to be the ideal time to head to Sardinia – if their new home isn’t located there already – to see a statue of the saint paraded through the streets in accordance with the promise made some 350 years ago.