May Day: Sex, Worker Rights, or the Blessed Virgin?

[ABSTRUSE]

May I suggest Midsummer, Perdita? No shops will be open, but you might see quite a few Swedes squatting around a leaf-covered cross, quacking like frogs.

I'm so proud of my wonderful, wonderful culture.

and you make fun of the Americans?????LOL Please explain the frog quacking leaf cross squatters?

 

[shereads]

But in the US, when the day set aside to honor labor rolls around, there are few places where it's not hotter than a snake's ass in a wagon rut.

That is so true.

 

[dee1124]

1st of May has always been a celebration of Workers' Rights to me. I'm a little ashamed to confess that this is the first time in 5 years that I've missed walking in the demonstrations.

Can't have that now, Svenska ... everyone sing along ...

The Internationale
Words by Eugene Pottier (Paris 1871)
Music by Pierre Degeyter (1888)

Arise ye workers from your slumbers
Arise ye prisoners of want
For reason in revolt now thunders
And at last ends the age of cant.
Away with all your superstitions
Servile masses arise, arise
We'll change henceforth the old tradition
And spurn the dust to win the prize.
So comrades, come rally
And the last fight let us face
The Internationale unites the human race.
So comrades, come rally
And the last fight let us face
The Internationale unites the human race. No more deluded by reaction
On tyrants only we'll make war
The soldiers too will take strike action
They'll break ranks and fight no more
And if those cannibals keep trying
To sacrifice us to their pride
They soon shall hear the bullets flying
We'll shoot the generals on our own side.
No saviour from on high delivers
No faith have we in prince or peer
Our own right hand the chains must shiver
Chains of hatred, greed and fear
E'er the thieves will out with their booty
And give to all a happier lot.
Each at the forge must do their duty
And we'll strike while the iron is hot.

 

[Svenskaflicka]

"Upp till kamp emot kvalen,
sista striden är här!
Nu internationalen
ta-dam-dam-dam-dam äääääär!"

I said I'm a commie, not that I'm a registered member!

 

[Svenskaflicka]

and you make fun of the Americans?????LOL Please explain the frog quacking leaf cross squatters?

I can assure you, it's all very logic.

The tradition comes, as I've explained earlier, from the time when we danced around the erections of statues, and sacrificed goats, bulls, horses, and slaves (not necessarily female virgins) to the gods.
When Christianity arrived, they had enough sense of self-preservation not to ban the feasts altogether, but they changed it, so that instead of an erection, people now dance around a big cross.
The dressing of the cross in leaves and flowers (sacrificing flowers instead of slaves) is supposedly to symbolize the fertility of the summer, but personally, I think that it was originally to cover up the bloodstains from previous years.

There are several folk dances around the May Pole, like "7 Beautiful Girls In A Ring", "The Priest's Little Crow", "This Is The Way The Shoemaker Does It", and, the most popular one; "The Little Frogs".

The later involves chíldren and grown-ups to imitate frogs as they leap around the May Pole, singing the famous song:

The Little Frogs,
The Little Frogs,
are funny to watch!
The Little Frogs,
The Little Frogs,
are funny to watch!
No ears,
no ears,
no tails do they have.
No ears,
no ears,
no tails do they have.

Quuuuuuuuuack-ack-ack!
Quack-ack-ack,
quack-ack-ack-ack-quaaaaa!
Quack-ack-ack,
quack-ack-ack,
quack-ack-ack-ack-quaaaaa!




This post was sponsored by The Swedish Tourism Agency, who wishes you all WELCOME TO SWEDEN.

 

[Guest]

I'll aim for next May Day then. I want to know how the shoemaker does it. Can you introduce me to a shoemaker?

Perdita

 

[Svenskaflicka]

I don't know any shoemakers personally, but I doubt you'd like what they do, anyway. According to the movements of the dance, it's something to do with jerking off.

 

[ABSTRUSE]

Let's all visit Sweden!

 

[Guest]

According to the movements of the dance, it's something to do with jerking off.

And I wouldn't like that, why? P.