Embedded Files
May Day blue ribbons from the 1940’s
May Day
May Day
Donor: Roger Haas, Class of 1951
Author: Margaret Gallagher and Maylee Shen, Class of 2028
Story Contributors: Bill Waddell, Gene Taylor, and Nancy McEntire, Class of 1958
Web Page Designer: Jade Farley, Class of 2027
Just as the spring season brings flowers and bright colors to nature, these May Day blue ribbons remind us that spring used to also bring flouncy pastel dresses, shining blue ribbons, and vibrancy to the students in Fort Thomas. The spring season in the early to mid-20th century was when the health of students was emphasized and rewarded during the celebration of May Day. Highlands celebrated its first May Day in 1929 and continued celebrating annually until the late 1960’s.
“It was a celebration of the advent of spring. You were just happy to put the dark and gloomy winter behind you and move on to spring and summer activities,”explained Gene Taylor, class of 1958.
HHS School Nurse Helps Student, 1948.
May Day ribbons were awarded to students who had good grades and provided the school with completed medical forms, proving they had their annual dental and health checkups. These ribbons were the gold standard for Highlands students and parents. Nationwide, May Day was viewed as a spring celebration focusing on student health in the USA.
“We had been through a period, during the Great Depression and WWII, where people’s dental health wasn't the biggest thing on their minds. May Day may have originated to raise awareness, get people involved, and keep student health in mind. It was the start of spring and had a lot of historical tradition behind it,” explained Bill Waddell, founder of The Highlands Stories Project, Highlands alumnus, class of 1958, and May Day participant.
“It was a celebration and the beginning of warm weather. Everybody was together, on the football field... there was a feeling this was a community thing.” Waddell described. Each elementary school had its celebration, while Highlands had the largest one.
Aside from the obvious health reasons, May Day was a way to connect and unite the Fort Thomas community in the spirit of celebration and dancing.
“Everyone strived to be the best which brought everyone together,” said Nancy McEntire, Highlands alumna, class of 1958, and May Day participant. The main event for the May Day celebration was the Maypole dance. Students from all schools took part in this dance, particularly the elementary students. They would aspire to be the best dancers and have a perfect performance.
The United Nations parade of flags on the HHS football field May Day, 1947.
May Day had a special place in the hearts of people all over America. Fort Thomas had its traditions, including a variety of performances on the football field at Highlands, which included Highlands students as well as students from the three elementary schools. (Each elementary school also held its celebration). Parents and students gathered in a large crowd in the stands at the Highlands football field to watch the crowning of the May King and Queen, with children from Moyer, Woodfill, and Johnson serving as trumpeters, crown bearers, and train bearers. There was also the parade of flags, musical performances, tumbling performances (to showcase types of exercise to improve health), the iconic dance around the Maypole, and finally, the highly coveted blue ribbons, which were handed out to qualifying students of all grade levels.
The May Day King and Queen and their Royal Court – Highlands football field - 1947.
Highlands 8th and 9th grade girls dancing around the Maypole, 1948.
When most people visualize the May Day celebrations, they remember the iconic Maypole dance, with students dancing around the Maypole, weaving over and under one another holding long, pastel ribbons attached to the top of the school flagpole. The finished product was a flagpole decorated in a braided pattern of pastel.
Our May Day celebrations ended in the late 1960's when the holiday was rumored to be associated with communism. “Senator McCarthy was looking for communists all over the place. It was called the Red Scare, and they even prosecuted some potentially innocent people…It was speculated that May Day ended in Fort Thomas because they didn't want to be accused of being part of the communist party or of being socialist,” Taylor explained.
“May Day was an event that was originally started in Europe. There were two parts, which were socially and constructively communist. It was a celebration of the workers of the communist party,” said Gene Taylor.
May Day was a fantastic celebration in Fort Thomas. It brought our community together for the spring, so it was disappointing when this came to an end.
“In the eyes of some, it would be an old-fashioned thing to do now, but I wish it (or something like it) still existed,” Waddell remarked. May Day was a beautiful celebration and although it had a negative origin, it brought life to our community. It filled gaps that had formed between schools or classes. May Day was a rite of passage for students and was a joyous memory for many.
“It was a spring festival when flowers were in bloom, it was no longer dark during the winter days and people wanted to go out and celebrate,” said Taylor.
In summary, although May Day originated from a European tradition, when brought to Fort Thomas (and throughout the USA) it was seen as a positive way to celebrate student health through the Great Depression and WWII eras. Most May Day participants didn’t realize the celebration had communist roots, as it ultimately became a spring celebration about renewal and student health.
This colorful May Day painting, by 1952 Highlands alumna, and popular artist, Beverly Hembold Erschell, depicts the color and dance of the Maypole. The ribbons are just visible above the women’s heads, as the focus is the joyful dance of moving together as a group amid spring flowers.
“Dancing ‘round the Maypole” painting by Highlands alumna, Bev Hembold-Erschell.
Page updated
Report abuse