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Benedictine and Franciscan Monks: Forgotten Inventors

   Usually, when we think of religious orders, these things come to mind: a cloister, an abbey, a library, prayer in solitude, detachment from the world… All this in the cradle of a period defined as "dark" by historiography up to Romanticism: the Middle Ages . In this period the monks - especially the Benedictines of the various orders - were the custodians of Judeo-Christian but also classical culture, since thanks to their patient and meticulous transcriptions as scribes we have received almost all of the Greek and Latin works which we study today. Today we are grateful to them first of all for this.   However, many do not know that many products - material and immaterial - that we consume and use every day, come from monks who, using their ingenuity nourished by a profound spirituality, invented them due to practical necessities.    Personally, I find it amazing!    Let's begin…   The heavy plow   Plows were a primary agri...
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Historical Traditions: May Day





Welcome back to our Blog and, as usual, I hope you’re doing great.  Anyway, today I want to tell you something more about a tradition we celebrate every year. So what are you waiting for? Scroll down to discover more.

May Day: Workers’ Day

A couple of weeks ago it was May 1st, typically known as “International Workers Day”. On this very day almost everyone has a day off to celebrate the hard work they've been doing during the year and, most of all, to claim their rights to decent work conditions.

Nowadays, unless it rains cats and dogs, people usually go for a picnic or, anyway, they have a great time with friends or family. However, do you know the historical events this tradition originates from? Anyhow, I can assure you, reading this article will make you learn something more about this festivity!
 


Ancient traditions

Originally, it was celebrated by the ancient Celts who named the first day of May 'Beltane', which is one of four fire festivals throughout the year. The Celts saw Beltane as the beginning of summer and as the moment that would bring life and fertility back to the world. Bel was a Celtic deity and the name Beltane means the 'fire of Bel' .
 

According to this ancient tradition, they used to make campfires or collect flowers and branches to decorate their homes. In addition, women and girls got up early and washed their faces in the fresh morning dew which they believed had some magical effect and would make them more beautiful.


Modern May 1st Holiday

To the present day it is an official public holiday in 66 countries, unofficial in others. It was first celebrated in England in 1890 when workers, who very often had to work 16 hours a day in dangerous, uneasy and extremely poor conditions, decided to fight for an 8-hour working day. On May 1st 1866, workers in the USA went on strike too, however, in the USA and Canada, the official holiday is called ‘Labour Day’ and is the first Monday in September.




In other countries too, they celebrate work and workers on different dates: In Japan, it's on 23rd November, in Kazakhstan it's on the last Sunday in September, in Bangladesh it's on 24th April and in New Zealand, on the fourth Monday in October. In Australia, each state has a different Labour Day.

Present Celebrations

May Day officially became a holiday for workers in China in 1949 and is now celebrated as a family holiday over 3 days. In small towns in England now, it is celebrated with the crowning of a 'May King or Queen', traditional Morris dancing and maypoles, which is a tall pole with long ribbons, which children hold when they dance around it.

In the Morris Dancing, six or eight dancers, standing in two lines or in a circle, wave white handkerchiefs as they dance to music which is played on an accordion, violin or a drum. They wear white costumes with coloured belts across their chests and bells at their knees.
 

Why do we say ‘Mayday’ to seek help?

Actually, this word is not connected to the May Day holiday at all! It was first used in England in the 1920s when a ship or plane was in trouble. They chose ‘Mayday’ since it comes from the French ‘m'aidez’ (help me) and was easily understood by most people. To be understood, it must be said three times in a row.
                                                              

Conclusion

So, this is all for now, I bet you’ve learnt something new, haven’t you? If so, I'm glad to have made you learn something more. However, don’t forget to add something up in the comments if you know more about the topic!Anyway, let me know what you think about it and how you would spend a ‘perfect May Day’. We’ll meet soon, Stay Tuned!

Today's Blogger


Hello there! I'm Francesco Elviretti, a 16-year-old student in my third year of the Liceo Scientifico. I find great pleasure in studying subjects like mathematics, physics, biology, and all things science, but my true passion lies in the field of medicine. I've joined this project to share fascinating insights with you, things you might not have discovered yet. Care to place a bet? XD
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Benedictine and Franciscan Monks: Forgotten Inventors

   Usually, when we think of religious orders, these things come to mind: a cloister, an abbey, a library, prayer in solitude, detachment from the world… All this in the cradle of a period defined as "dark" by historiography up to Romanticism: the Middle Ages . In this period the monks - especially the Benedictines of the various orders - were the custodians of Judeo-Christian but also classical culture, since thanks to their patient and meticulous transcriptions as scribes we have received almost all of the Greek and Latin works which we study today. Today we are grateful to them first of all for this.   However, many do not know that many products - material and immaterial - that we consume and use every day, come from monks who, using their ingenuity nourished by a profound spirituality, invented them due to practical necessities.    Personally, I find it amazing!    Let's begin…   The heavy plow   Plows were a primary agri...
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