I Never Knew That

Where did May Day Come From?

Most dates that are recognized as national holidays or at least entail widespread celebrations can enjoy that particular 24-hour designation to themselves on the calendar. It’s rare for a widely acknowledged holiday—say, Halloween or Presidents Day—to share top billing with another commemoration. Which brings us to the outlier of May Day.

For hundreds of years across much of Europe, May 1 was celebrated as a time when spring was in full bloom, with outdoor communal festivities highlighting the merriment enjoyed by participants who no longer had to fear winter’s wrath. However, for more than a century now, May Day has had a more serious significance. Also known as International Workers’ Day, it’s recognized as a time to mark the ongoing struggles for improved labor conditions—and, by extension, human rights. Although neither version of May Day is formally acknowledged as a holiday in the United States, both are more widely known internationally, and in some areas dually celebrated. So, what exactly is May Day, and how has the significance of the day evolved?

May Day Originated From Pagan Celebrations

May Day as a commemoration of spring has its origins in older pagan traditions. The Romans celebrated the six-day festival of Floralia from late April into early May, an event marked by various competitions, theatrical presentations, and the releasing of hares and deer as symbols of fertility. Farther north, the people of Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Mann celebrated May 1 with the Gaelic festival of Beltane. Marking the start of summer, Beltane was traditionally observed with the lighting of bonfires and collection of flowers. By the late Middle Ages, these events had coalesced into the May Day celebrations that were held through much of Europe. Perhaps the most famous rite associated with the day is dancing around the maypole. First noted in the 14th century, the maypole was originally a full tree hauled into a village, before evolving into a shorn wooden pole. Other May Day traditions surfaced later, including the appearance of the Jack-in-the-Green and the selection of the May Queen.

Source: historyfacts.com

Contributed by Jane Hart

Art by Hart

Vanessa was proud of how Booboo’s penmanship was improving

Mitzi and Lombard had to hide their love behind a passing cloud

A kind woman, Noah’s wife sneaked several of her small single friends aboard the ark

Richardson was not a fan of the new subway lighting

Just as Granny Finch-Baum warned, Dennis turned into an ice cream cone

Art and photos by Jane Hart

Suited Them to a Tea

Friday, April 25, was the time for grace and elegance—and fancy headgear, too. The second Kendal Afternoon Tea was a hit! The atmosphere was gracious, the delicacies delicious, and the hats and fascinators tasteful and appropriately spring-time. Fred and staff outdid themselves, once again. To the planners we say a heartfelt YAY! And thank you. As we do to Fred et al for carrying it out to a tee.

Tea-time Menu

Fred actually sat down—for a moment

Stay tuned: Fred has promised us his scone recipe.

Photos by Greg Lozier

From the Attic: The Aroma of Change, ala 1973--and Beyond!

Sometimes “out of the attic” comes a memory of the work-world past.

The time was 1973. Revlon was joining what was then a world-changing movement now best known as The Women’s Revolution. It did so by deciding to change the face of traditional perfume advertising. Charlie perfume was born—and, with it, the Revlon Charlie perfume ad featuring a confident, modern woman plowing happily and forcefully through the world on her very own.

Fast forward to 1988. A new Charlie campaign, designed by our own Cathie Campbell, hit the market. It featured a woman patting a man on the backside, a playful representation of female self-sufficiency.

Revolutionary! It took the powers that be by surprise—and a wee bit of consternation—as depicted in a sketch Cathie did at the time of those to whom she presented the ad for approval (naturally, after the usual 3-martini lunch).

It was in the end accepted and pitched into the world. Playful? A paean to self-suffiency? Whoa! Not all agreed. There were those—The New York Times, for example—who criticized it as sexist and in poor taste. And the reaction, in turn, was dramatic.

And the ad campaign was a hit! And a significant marketing move for Revlon: within three years, Charlie became the world’s top-selling perfume. And in the ad world, too, making #16 in “The 20 Ads That Shook the World” list from Adweek.

Building Community Commitment

They came, they saw, they volunteered. And then they talked about it.

At the recent Residents Association Quarterly meeting, Carlisle Spivey chaired a panel of four residents who have helped build the spirit, energy, and actuality of community here at Kendal: Marianne Bloomfeld, Caroline Persell, Peter Roggemann, and Tom Wolzien. They talked among themselves about what they had expected from Kendal, how they had entered into the community, and what advice they’d have for new residents.

Photos by Harry Bloomfeld

I Never Knew That

People Used to be Able to Send Children Through the US Mail

You can send a lot of things in the mail, but you can’t send a person—at least not anymore. There was nothing preventing people from mailing their own children in the early days of the US Postal Service’s parcel post service, though, and at least seven families took advantage of it. That includes the Beagues, an Ohio couple who in 1913 paid 15 cents in postage to mail their newborn son to his grandmother’s house a mile down the road. Beyond the novelty of it—when the parcel post service began on January 1, 1913, some were eager to see which packages they could get away with sending—it was a surprisingly practical way of getting one’s kiddo from point A to point B.

To start with, many people in rural areas knew their postal carriers fairly well, which meant the children were simply walked or carried on often-short trips. In other instances, children traveled on trains as Railway Mail, but with stamps instead of (usually more expensive) train tickets.

The longest known trip of a child through the mail occurred in 1915, when a 6-year-old was sent 720 miles from Florida to Virginia—a lengthy trip that cost just 15 cents.

Fortunately, there are no reports of children being injured by being sent through the mail. (Pictures of children in literal mailbags were staged.) The practice ended, as so many do, when certain higher-ups became aware of the loophole and decided to close it, also around 1915. 

Source: interestingfacts.com

Contributed by Jane Hart

In and Around Kendal

April Birthdays at Kendal

Photo by Harry Bloomfeld

If a Tree Falls in the Park . . .

An elder elm took a bad fall

Photo by Carolyn Reiss

It was so-o-o-o big—even on its side, it was almost bigger than Debbie Bell

Photo by Carolyn Reiss

Portrait of a fallen hero

Photo by Edward Kasinec

Q: When Is a Hawk Not a Hawk?

A: When it’s a window decal from the Cornell Ornithology mailing sent to Philip Monteleoni! Coulda fooled me—and did!

Photo by Philip Monteleoni

Moon Set over the Hudson

Photo by Jeff O’Donnell

Ready for a Little Refresh?

First up: the PDR—cleared out and waiting to become the temporary kitchen . . .

Photo by Joe Bruno

They're Back!

The Stone Barns goats have returned to Rockwood Park—a true sign that spring is here. Kendal photographers were out in number to commemorate and celebrate their return. Yay!

The Return, by Edward Kasinec

And the kids came, too! by Carolyn Reiss

Inquisitive youngster, by Carolyn Reiss

Lots of room to roam, by Hubert Herring

It's That Time Again: Duckies Rule!

Yes, we know, you’re excited! We all are. It’s not every day that one gets to cheer on contestants of this caliber in an athletic competition this strenuous. We speak, of course, of the annual Rubber Ducky Derby, for which our Kendal—recognizing a good thing when they see it—one of the two leading sponsors.

The date is Saturday, April 26 The place is Patriots’ Park, right on Broadway as Sleepy Hollow becomes Tarrytown. The time is 11 am-3 pm. Races take place throughout the day as duckies tire and drop out, leaving the Big Winners!

The Hope Hose and Conqueror Fire Department help out by turning the gentle-flowing Andre’s Brook into a roiling river for dare-devil ducks.

The race is in support of the Rotary Club of the Tarrytowns in all of its philanthropic efforts to support and improve our communities. And Kendal is one of the two top sponsors of the race!

And you—yes, we’re talking about you—can get skin (or feathers) in the race! Adopt a Ducky! And while you’re at it, adopt 6 or a whole tub-full of that’s 13). The more you adopt, the cheaper they are.

for more information on The Duckie derby--and Duckie adoption--click here

And to give you some idea of what’s involved, a few pictures from last year’s race.

And they’re off!

You can feel the tension in the air!

Athletes at their best!

Danger is all around them. Some quack up under the stress.

I Never Knew That

Ancient Rome’s “Sacred Chickens” Made Predictions About the Future

One of the oldest religious practices in ancient Rome was augury, or reading signs from the gods through the behavior of birds, the idea being that the birds were deliberate divine messengers. Augurs, or bird divination experts, would sometimes draw diagrams on the ground to help them interpret behavior from owls, woodpeckers, crows, and other wild birds.

These avian messages, called auspices, were taken extremely seriously, but wild birds weren’t always around to deliver them — so eventually, ancient Roman priests started keeping “sacred chickens” that they could call upon at any time. These fortunetelling chickens were especially prized for military decisions, and would be consulted before any major moves to make sure the gods approved.

When their services were required, the chickens would be released from their cages and fed so that augurs could interpret their eating patterns. Broadly, a chicken refusing to eat was a very bad sign, while a chicken gobbling up its food while stomping its feet was a very good one.

The most notable cautionary tale about not heeding the fowls’ warnings came in 249 BCE. According to the ancient scholar Cicero, one Roman consul commanding a fleet of ships dismissed some bad omens before going into battle. When he was told the chickens wouldn’t eat, he ordered them thrown overboard, commenting, “Let them drink.” He was soundly defeated, and later recalled by the Roman Senate.

Source: historyfacts.org

Contributed by Jane Hart

© Kendal on Hudson Residents Association 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021, 2022 all rights reserved.  Please do not reproduce without permission.

Photographs of life at Kendal on Hudson are by residents.