Thoughts from the Benefice

 for May 2025

May is here. Easter is past. Yes, even Spring has come. May seems a month of holidays. Many of them have moved in recent year, such as May Day. Celebrations in the past were on the first day of May. The villages would have happy gatherings, including dancing round Maypoles. One village school I knew, loved their Maypole. They had a special socket for it in the playground. The children from the infants to top juniors would dance amazing routines. The Head retired and a new Headteacher from a local town took over. The children taught her how they could dance round their clever routines round the Maypole! Now May Day is not even Labour Day. It is celebrated as a Bank Holiday on May 5th this year. The banks are shut, not that we notice since all the formal banks round here are shut not just on Bank Holidays!

Then at the end of the month there is Spring Bank Holiday. Some of us remember that it was called Whit Monday and celebrated on the day after Whit Sunday or Pentecost as the church calls it. It is the day when the church celebrates the joy of the gift of the Holy Spirit. God’s gift to guide and be with us always. Jesus has died at Easter, the disciples had witnessed the resurrection. Now the earthly presence of Jesus was no longer around to be seen and touched by those disciples. Whit Monday is now called Spring Bank holiday and celebrated this year on May 29th, again all banks are shut!

We may remember those days from the past, but whatever the name, we can all enjoy the Springtime and a day of rest or recreation.

So, we can all note the changed names of these holidays. We may regret the loss of the link with Whitsun and the coming of the Holy Spirit to be with us. But holidays in the yearly calendar remind us all that we need to work or even if unemployed or retired, yes do tasks around the home and community. We also need rest and recreation and time to have a holiday, even if we no longer dance around a Maypole as those village school children did.

Canon Peter Hartley