The earliest May Day celebrations predate Christianity's introduction to Europe. What is left of them now are the unbridled celebration of the end of winter, dancing around a Maypole, and crowning the Queen of May. This collection from Western Oregon University's Hamersly Library & Archives consists of a selection of photographs and postcards related to May Day events between 1916 and 1947. The site provides a short explanation of how the May Day Celebration began at what was then the Oregon State Normal School. It then follows the development of the celebration and how it eventually transformed into the fall Homecoming celebration, one of the school's most popular social events. The dozens of vintage black and white photographs chronicle long-ago celebrations of spring and can be viewed as a slideshow or individually with associated information such as Date, Location, and Description.
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