A picture of past May Day dresses made out of fabric, paper, and plastic on display.

(USU Special Collections & Archives, Folklore Collection 67)

From its establishment in 1860, Mendon has celebrated May Day with a full court and maypole dance. May Day, traditionally celebrated on May 1st, is an ancient spring festival with deep ties to agrarian roots and work that honors springtime renewal and local cultural norms. In Mendon, Utah, May Day has been celebrated for over 150 years. Each year the girls in the Mendon community dance around the maypole in matching dresses with patterns and fabrics selected by a committee. Selection of the May Day court and queen has changed over the years. Early on, the Sunday School presidency selected the queen. For a time, she was voted on by her peers. Later, the school principal selected the queen or drew her name from a hat. Now, the mayor or city council selects the queen based on an essay she writes stating why she would like to be the May Day queen, assuring she can perform all the queenly duties. Duties of the queen include attending all the May Day celebrations and representing Mendon in Cache Valley community parades on Independence Day (4th of July) and Pioneer Day (24th of July). Any female high school junior is eligible to become the May Day queen, and the attendants and pages are selected from the rest of the junior class.

May Day is held on the Saturday preceding May 1st. Festivities include a promenade with all the participants in their matching outfits, braiding the maypole, crowning the May Day queen, a program about May Day, and a dance in the evening. A number of past and present Mendon residents participated in an online survey for this project that included questions about holidays. The respondents wrote about their love of May Day while growing up or when seeing their children participate in the tradition.

When residents were asked for their favorite memory or holiday in Mendon, many wrote about May Day. The following quotes are from these Mendon residents about their memories of May Day:

When we first moved to Mendon, I was 11 years old. We went to church that first Sunday (in June), and all of the girls were wearing matching dresses. I was surprised, and quickly learned that matching new dresses was a part of being in the May Day celebration for Mendon girls. —Laura Lloyd Morgan

I loved going to the Mendon Market and buying penny candy and other fun candy. I also loved participating in the May Day celebration. —Mandy Powell

The May Day Queen, her court, and the little girls dancing around the flower /ribbon poles. —L

I loved participating in May Day. It was always very traumatic to have to boys stand along our marching route with squirt guns and water balloons. Having matching dresses and new shoes made up for that. —Shara Swan