Miscellaneous Monday: May Day is Lei Day!

[Summer Hogan]

Hi everyone, 

Did you know that there are two holidays today? Today is May Day and Lei Day. Let’s start with May Day. May Day has numerous meanings. In Europe it is called Workers’ Day and it commemorates the struggles and gains made by workers and the labour movement. In the United States it is a day to celebrate the beginning of Summer (not me, the season 😊). And in Hawaii it is Lei Day, where they say, “May Day is Lei Day.” Lei Day is a statewide celebration of Hawaiian tradition and flowers. Each Hawaiian Island has a different type of flower lei for its people to wear in the celebration and there are numerous festivities islanders and tourists can partake in.

So, show us your shaka’s and share with us what holiday you will be celebrating today and what you will do to celebrate!

[Jack Brickey]

Thanks for sharing Summer! I was aware of, but had forgotten about it being May Day, and I have to be honest I’ve never heard of Lei Day. Regardless, I don’t expect either to change what I will do today. It will be pretty much like any other Monday for me. Although I will have friends coming in from Austin later in the week and will be preparing for their visit, so that is something I have to look forward to. 

[Summer Hogan]

I hope you have a great time with your friends @Jack Brickey!

[Robert Wen_Cprime_]

Happy May Day!  (or is it Lei day?)

[Summer Hogan]

It's both! 

[Kimberly Deal _Columbus ACE_]

Now I know when I need to visit Hawaii!  :D
That sounds like a lot of fun.

[Summer Hogan]

@Kimberly Deal _Columbus ACE_ I totally recommend a visit to Hawaii! I absolutely love Hawaii and there are so many things you can do there. I especially love the blue water! 

[Marjorie]

Thank you for the insight on Lei Day.  I celebrated May Day as a child in elementary school. I need to celebrate today with planting some flowers.

[Summer Hogan]

Love that idea @Marjorie!

[Amanda Barber]

I can't wait to visit Hawaii some day! It's definitely not feeling like the beginning of summer here in Wisconsin today - a bit of snow this morning and it feels like about 30 degrees F. 😅 Not celebrating in any way, but I did remember to wish my team a Happy May Day on standup! 🌸

[Summer Hogan]

A visit to Hawaii is a must for sure @Amanda Barber! My sister used to live in Wisconsin and said she felt like the winter never ends! 

[Amanda Barber]

I definitely agree with her. We tend to get little glimpses of spring here and there and then - BAM! - it's summer. It was in the 80s a couple of weeks ago, but then it dipped back down quite drastically. 

[LarryBrock]

Wow, May day, Lei day, and my brother's birthday - triple threat!  =^)

[Summer Hogan]

So funny @LarryBrock - it's my brothers birthday today too! 

[Andy Gladstone]

Not celebrating either. However the mention of the shaka sign (which looks like a "call me" sign) reminded me of a hilarious video put out by Orica Greenedge Cycling Team in 2013 as a spoof on Call Me Maybe. During the Vuelta A Espana that year one of their team members took the polka dot leaders jersey and did the sign from the podium!

They're an Australian based cycling team and I loved watching them compete. Maybe there is some sort of Australian bias in my blood with this whole Atlassian love affair...

Anyway, @Summer Hogan thanks for sparking that memory. I watched the video again today and just as funny for me now as 10 years ago. And yes, I will call you soon... maybe.

[Summer Hogan]

That video and your comment made my day @Andy Gladstone! So funny! 

[Dave Liao]

Many of my friends and associates have off in Europe today!

Though I hear some folks are being paid overtime/doubletime to work today. 🤣

[Summer Hogan]

That's awesome! I wish we had a day off in the US today!

[Dave Liao]

Same! I guess we've got Labor Day! 🙃

[Allie]

Super interesting. I was only familiar with the workers-rights connection. Thanks for the intel!

[Dave Mathijs]

May Day will now forever be Lei Day, the day I celebrate the contribution of @Summer Hogan to this wonderful community! 🌼🌸🌺🌻

Apart from that, I spent the extra long weekend (PTO last Friday and Labour Day in Belgium on Monday) at a concert of dark rock band Mono Inc. in Cologne, Germany and a city trip to the Dutch cities Delft and Den Haag.

[Summer Hogan]

Aww, thanks @Dave Mathijs! That sounds like a great weekend you had! 

[John Funk]

Now that I work for a French company, it was my first day of work there and May Day all at the same time! Lei Day was new to me, also. But I love the flowers and the gift of leis when visiting the islands. 

[Summer Hogan]

Me too @John Funk! I also love all the flowers in Hawaii! I typically have a whole folder full of pics of just plants, trees, and flowers after a trip. 

[Jimmy Seddon]

Great post @Summer Hogan!  This is definitely in the spirit of Misc. Monday!  Sharing facts we may otherwise not have been aware of.

[Summer Hogan]

Thanks @Jimmy Seddon! 

[Teodora V _Fun Inc_]

I love these pieces of holidays here and there, mostly because I adopted the habit of working while everyone is off and then being off when... yeah when everyone is working 😅

[Summer Hogan]

Not a bad approach @Teodora V _Fun Inc_; that way you can go do things without all the crowds on the holidays! 

[Dan Breyen]

I'm just glad most of the snow has finally melted and the grass is greening up.  So I guess I'm all for the beginning of summer.

[Krimo Khermane]

@Summer Hogan thanks for sharing I learned something new today. When I read the first lines of your blog – I had flashbacks to the 90's & 00's and the mega Techno festival "Mayday" This was super famous in Germany, Polen, Hungary, and Russia. Holidays and music - are a great fit.

[Summer Hogan]

Totally true @Krimo Khermane - I'm glad you had happy flashbacks! Mayday sounds amazing!

[Markku Miettunen]

We are having today a corporate-wide Feels Like Summer festival - even though the temperature is now +3 °C here in Helsinki :)

[Summer Hogan]

That's awesome @Markku Miettunen! I hope it was fun! 

[Graham Twine]

May day, yes first day of summer for a very long time. Now the fist cold days of winter.

My birthday month woo hoo.

Wait I stopped having birthdays. AM am just fine with this age :D

[Manoj Gangwar]

loard shiva day

[Prabhu Palanisamy _Onward_]

Good to know about Lei day.

[Kai Becker]

Haven't heard about Lei day before, nice to know :)