1. Morning Worship Liberation
May Day (4th May)
Easter Season 1st May 2015
Bishop Justus Church of England School

2. Gather The Lord be with you And also with you
The May Day Bank Holiday is on the first Monday in May.
Find out in worship what this traditional day is all about…
Information from Wikipedia:
Traditional English May Day rites and celebrations include Morris dancing, crowning a May Queen and celebrations involving a Maypole... May Day has been a traditional day of festivities throughout the centuries. With Christianity came agricultural feasts such as Plough Sunday (the first Sunday in January), Rogationtide, Harvest Festival and May Day. It is most associated with towns and villages celebrating springtime fertility and revelry with village fetes and community gatherings. Since May 1st is the Feast of St Philip & St James, they became the patron saints of workers. Seeding has been completed by this date and it was convenient to give farm labourers a day off. Perhaps the most significant of the traditions is the Maypole, around which traditional dancers circle with ribbons.
There are lots of local traditions celebrated on May Day—A traditional Sweeps Festival is performed over the May bank holiday in Rochester, Kent where the Jack In the Green (a person who dresses as a tree!) is woken at dawn on the 1st of May by Morris dancers.
May Day is also International Labour Day and is seen by many as a protest against capitalism and globalisation—trade unions and workers sometimes make something of this day.

3. Receive Song of Songs 2: 12-13
In the countryside the flowers are in bloom. This is the time for singing; the song of doves is heard in the fields. Figs are beginning to ripen; the air is fragrant with blossoming vines.
Song of Songs 2: 12-13
Receive

4. Engage A day off / liberation May Day is one of our Bank Holidays.
What do you enjoy having the freedom
to Do on a day off?
Discuss the importance of
work life balance
May Day Bank Holiday
Do you know of any May Day traditions?
Info can be looked up here
A tradition for many in our country is to
have a Maypole dance watch an excerpt
of an example of Maypole dancing
Has anyone taken part or seen a maypole dance?
Other Ideas
We have a Bank Holiday to celebrate this day
should the government scrap it in favour of
a holiday at a different time?
and for more info
Get a flavour of the Rochester sweeps festival—bit home video—
Traditions and customs—share some traditions and customs from within the class—things that they do every year—or every week / day etc. And why they do them?
Celebrate spring—May Day party
Enjoy together the new life we see in nature at this time of year….
If possible go outside—mark a small area of grass for each student (e.g. the size of an A4 piece of paper) and ask students to study in great detail what they see….. The more they look hopefully the more they will be amazed at the natural world……

5. Respond
Creator God As warmth returns to the sky and colour to the land, we thank you for the world you have created. We thank you for the beauty of golden sunrise, budding leaf and good harvest. Amen

6. Go We are raised to new life with Christ.
Go in his peace. Alleluia, Alleluia