It's the first of May and a public holiday in Greece. I'm sure there are some ties to the tradition of Labour Day, but in this country, as with all festivals, there is a much stronger tie to the Pagan past. This is a day to celebrate nature in all her fecundity, to acknowledge the easing of the all too brief flowering of spring into the heat of early summer.
So tradition has it that women young and old get up early, before the sun catches the fragile wild blooms, and pick flowers to make a simple wreath for the front door and small bunches to adorn cars, boats and shop doorways. Having done so, everyone gathers for a family lunch and maybe an afternoon at the beach, weather permitting.
And is the weather obliging today? Well, it's as if the first day of May has brought a real taste of summer right on cue - the first day that it's felt seriously hot. The dogs have been sleeping all day in the shade, the cats stretching laconically. Me? I've been doing housework - but that's another story!
And as it's the day of flowers, I thought I'd share some pictures of the blooms that are currently gracing the garden here. Something uplifting after the sad zoo story....
So tradition has it that women young and old get up early, before the sun catches the fragile wild blooms, and pick flowers to make a simple wreath for the front door and small bunches to adorn cars, boats and shop doorways. Having done so, everyone gathers for a family lunch and maybe an afternoon at the beach, weather permitting.
And is the weather obliging today? Well, it's as if the first day of May has brought a real taste of summer right on cue - the first day that it's felt seriously hot. The dogs have been sleeping all day in the shade, the cats stretching laconically. Me? I've been doing housework - but that's another story!
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