Terse Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 BBC NEWS Plans to scrap the May Day bank holiday in England and Wales for alternative dates have been outlined by ministers. Under the proposals, the holiday would be moved to St George's Day in April in England and St David's Day in March in Wales, or a Trafalgar Day in October. Personally, I find the idea of a holiday to celebrate a mythical figure (St George) quite repugnant and, of course, the question then arises as to what the IoM will do. Will our govt follow suit in order to match up with the banking system in England - or stick with mayday in order match up with many other countries throughout Europe and the rest of the world? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweek Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 The government here have been doing a lot of 'Mayday!...mayday!' lately. I'll bet they'll be glad to see the back of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matty Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Probably some religious whacko coined the idea up. It has been a part of the 'pagan' calendar for centuries despite the church trying to stamp it out. One of the important 'quarters' in the year marking the seasons, I would much prefer we kept it as it is. Mayday Wiki Reading the Wiki - it states that it wasn't an actual bank holiday in the UK until 1978 (learn something new every day!) - I think this date works well - if it ain't broke - it don't need fixing.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Declan Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 The Tories have always had it in for May Day for ideological reasons - due to it's connection to International Workers Day. They're becoming adept at finding seemingly practical reasons for pushing through they're ideological agenda - this time "tourism", normally "the deficit". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
P.K. Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 They got completely stuffed in yesterday's by-election though: By-election results Dan Jarvis (Lab) 14,724 Jane Collins (UKIP) 2,953 James Hockney (Con) 1,999 Enis Dalton (BNP) 1,463 Tony Devoy (Ind) 1,266 Dominic Carman (LD) 1,012 Kevin Riddiough (Eng Dem) 544 Howling Laud Hope (Loony) 198 Michael Val Davies (Ind) 60 Not that it will make the slightest difference to Cameron and Osborne but dear me Cleggy, what have you done... "According to BBC Research, it is the biggest drop, (for the LibDems) in terms of ranking, at an English by-election since 1945." Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ans Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 BBC NEWS Plans to scrap the May Day bank holiday in England and Wales for alternative dates have been outlined by ministers. Under the proposals, the holiday would be moved to St George's Day in April in England and St David's Day in March in Wales, or a Trafalgar Day in October. Personally, I find the idea of a holiday to celebrate a mythical figure (St George) quite repugnant and, of course, the question then arises as to what the IoM will do. Will our govt follow suit in order to match up with the banking system in England - or stick with mayday in order match up with many other countries throughout Europe and the rest of the world? Well, we do already have a Tynwald Day and a Senior Race Day that the UK don't have, we'd just lose May Day altogether and I'm not sure we'd have much grounds for complaint with having those two extra already. Personally, apart from Xmas, I'd much rather have Bank Holidays in my personal leave allowance to take whenever I want. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alex Posted March 4, 2011 Share Posted March 4, 2011 Given that the UK (and IOM) have far less bank holidays than most other countries, then I'd hope they would consider adding an extra one rather than removing May Day. I personally love bank holidays, and would not like to have them removed & added to my annual leave - trouble with that is that it wouldn't be long before employers started reducing annual leave over a period of time IMO. Plus it's great that so many of your friends are also off on bank hols, therefore making sunday BBQs/parties/nights out etc more possible. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
guzzi Posted March 6, 2011 Share Posted March 6, 2011 One of the important 'quarters' in the year marking the seasons, I would much prefer we kept it as it is. Mayday Wiki Reading the Wiki - it states that it wasn't an actual bank holiday in the UK until 1978 (learn something new every day!) - I think this date works well - if it ain't broke - it don't need fixing.. Er - how is 1 May a quarter day, or a day marking a season? Spring starts on the equinox, 21 March or thereabouts, summer on the solstice, 21 June give or take a day. Michaelmas is 29 September, Christmas is 25 December, Lady Day is 25 March, the other being midsummer day on the solstice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freggyragh Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 In the Manx calendar Mayday / Laa Boaldyn is the first day of Summer. The Manx calendar is based on the growing cycle of crops rather than the weather. It it traditionally a more significant festival here, and in Scotland, Ireland and many other countries, than it is England. Traditionally here it is a day for burning gorse, picking elderflowers for elderflower wine and making rowan crosses. England, like Germany, does have a long tradition of dancing round a maypole and other such stuff though. It is strange that England chose a Middle Eastern Roman soldier (don't tell the EDL but he was from somewhere in or near the modern Syria/Palestine area) as a saint. The English adoption of Saint George may date from the crusades, but did not become an official church feast day until 1415. Saints Days were suppressed in England by the puritans in the 1650s, and St George's Day was just about forgotten about and ignored for about the next three hundred and fifty years, until English nationalists decided they needed an equivalent of St Patrick's Day. Getting rid of Mayday bank holiday (which is Labour Day in many countries) is definitely political. By the way, our patron saint is not St Maughold (as some nationalists seem to think). If we have one it is St Patrick, but the two most significant days here are traditionally; Laa'l Colum Killey / St Columba's Day (June 9th), and Laa'l Eoin / St John's Day (24th June). The reality is that protestantism did for saints days here, and now Senior Race day means more to most of us than Laa'l Colum Killey, and Tynwald Day (since 1752 calendar changeover 11 days after St John's / midsummer / June 24th) much more than St John. Senior Race Day and Tynwald Day just about coincide with the two biggest traditional saints days here, and mean as much to us St Patricks does in Ireland, St David's does in Wales and BNP St George's Day might in England. I don't think we could justify another one, so we will probably just end up losing our Mayday bank holiday. Thanks Cameron, you tory bastard. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
VinnieK Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 It is strange that England chose a Middle Eastern Roman soldier (don't tell the EDL but he was from somewhere in or near the modern Syria/Palestine area) as a saint. The early saints had fairly sizeable cults attached to them throughout Europe, long before anything like a genuine sense of nationality or nationhood emerged so people tended to venerate a saint based on qualities other than ethnic or cultural grouping. St George has always been a popular figure in England, so I imagine it would be a combination of that and the significance and appeal of having a saint associated with soldiering and war as a patron during troubled times. Besides, there's more glamour in St George than in some Northumbrian monk who wrote a few books and then popped his clogs. One way of viewing it is as the English being pragmatic in recognising that domestic and later saints tend to be a bit rubbish: if you're going to worship someone as a quasi-historical demi-god, you might as well choose someone rumoured to have bumped off a dragon, rather than a British pest control officer like St Patrick, or a disturbed individuall like Brigid of Sweden (basically a boring, Scandinavian Joan of Arc whose life was about as exciting and inspiring as a parsnip). The Scots kind of got the whole patron saint game by choosing a high status one like St Andrew (even if he was one of the more boring apostles). On the other hand, the Welsh and Cornish made the same mistake as did the Irish in venerating the first old duffer to teach them shame and the joys of joylessness for no apparent greater reason than he was familiar to them. Basically, the Welsh, Cornish and Irish chose their patron saints like we vote in our MHKs, whilst the Scots and English, and even the Bretons had a bit more ambition and sheer cheek. We on the other hand just half heartedly imitated our neighbours (Patrick, and the even more inexplicable and dreary Columba) before getting bored with all the nonsense and going to watch the races instead, which might very well be the best of all attitudes to have towards patron saints Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Barrie Stevens Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 In the Manx calendar Mayday / Laa Boaldyn is the first day of Summer. The Manx calendar is based on the growing cycle of crops rather than the weather. It it traditionally a more significant festival here, and in Scotland, Ireland and many other countries, than it is England. Traditionally here it is a day for burning gorse, picking elderflowers for elderflower wine and making rowan crosses. England, like Germany, does have a long tradition of dancing round a maypole and other such stuff though. It is strange that England chose a Middle Eastern Roman soldier (don't tell the EDL but he was from somewhere in or near the modern Syria/Palestine area) as a saint. The English adoption of Saint George may date from the crusades, but did not become an official church feast day until 1415. Saints Days were suppressed in England by the puritans in the 1650s, and St George's Day was just about forgotten about and ignored for about the next three hundred and fifty years, until English nationalists decided they needed an equivalent of St Patrick's Day. Getting rid of Mayday bank holiday (which is Labour Day in many countries) is definitely political. By the way, our patron saint is not St Maughold (as some nationalists seem to think). If we have one it is St Patrick, but the two most significant days here are traditionally; Laa'l Colum Killey / St Columba's Day (June 9th), and Laa'l Eoin / St John's Day (24th June). The reality is that protestantism did for saints days here, and now Senior Race day means more to most of us than Laa'l Colum Killey, and Tynwald Day (since 1752 calendar changeover 11 days after St John's / midsummer / June 24th) much more than St John. Senior Race Day and Tynwald Day just about coincide with the two biggest traditional saints days here, and mean as much to us St Patricks does in Ireland, St David's does in Wales and BNP St George's Day might in England. I don't think we could justify another one, so we will probably just end up losing our Mayday bank holiday. Thanks Cameron, you tory bastard. During my twenty odd years on the Island I was told by many that the patron Saint of the Isle of Man was in fact St Runius and there is a C of E St Runius church over there. I have no idea of what the fellow did...anyone? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Declan Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 I think you'll find it's spelt Ruinous. I see the nationalises want Illium Dhone's Death Day to be a holiday - January 2nd. So swap a long sunny day for a cold short one just aftr three other bank holidays. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tweek Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 I think you'll find it's spelt Ruinous. Hmmm...Ruinus day - could be Feb 15th, Budget day. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
matty Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 One of the important 'quarters' in the year marking the seasons, I would much prefer we kept it as it is. Mayday Wiki Reading the Wiki - it states that it wasn't an actual bank holiday in the UK until 1978 (learn something new every day!) - I think this date works well - if it ain't broke - it don't need fixing.. Er - how is 1 May a quarter day, or a day marking a season? Spring starts on the equinox, 21 March or thereabouts, summer on the solstice, 21 June give or take a day. Michaelmas is 29 September, Christmas is 25 December, Lady Day is 25 March, the other being midsummer day on the solstice. Samhain 31st October Yule 21st December Imbolc 2nd February Ostara 21st March Beltane 1st May Litha 21st June Lammas 1st August Mabon 21st September Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Freggyragh Posted March 7, 2011 Share Posted March 7, 2011 Runius is the Latinized name of the patron saint of the parish of Marown. His real name was Ronan. The placename Marown comes from the Old Gaelic for 'my Ronan' ('my' being an honorific for a well loved priest / saint). I've never heard of him being promoted as a patron saint for the Isle of Man, and if so, calling him Saint Runius would be like calling Saint Patrick Saint Patricus. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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