For weeks leading up to May, everyone seemed to ask us the same question: "What are you doing for May 1st?" (pssssss - one of my fellow-North American-living in Serbia-bloggers wrote a little about the history of May 1st if you wanna check out that link I posted.) Initially, Chris would answer by saying, "well (duh), it falls on a Tuesday, so of course I am working. Maybe Lana's free though. . . " But as the much anticipated day got closer and closer, Chris realized that not only was his office closed on Tuesday, May 1st, but also on the following day. Most of his coworkers took Monday off and turned it into a five-day holiday, so Chris did the same thing. Hooorahhhhh for 5 days off in a row with my hubby!
So then the tables turned and we started asking everyone else around us what they were doing May 1st.
More or less, May 1st is "Labor Day" for a lot of the world. In Serbia, the banks close, the days suddenly seem a little longer, stores run out of every sort of meat, and neglected grills make their summer debut. The bank holiday is a time for all working adults to take a much needed rest from work and enjoy the impending arrival of summer.
Our friends suggested spending the day on Lake Palic - with 100,000 other locals and tourists. I could not imagine that many people visiting a polluted lake that should never be jumped into - but they came from near and far to enjoy the gypsy carnival, local vendors, grilled meats and sunny weather. We set up a patchwork of blankets away from the crowds and spent 12 whole hours playing football, frisbee, cards, eating and drinking. It was relaxing and rejuvenating and we planned a repeat of the day as spring opened into summer.
Enjoy our pictures of May 1st on Lake Palic.
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| Usually the Lake Palic is quiet and empty, but not on May 1st! |
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| The weather was just perfect! |
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| Jelen Pivo = Deer Beer. A Serbian favorite! |
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| The gypsy carnival - I posed and smiled but I did not take a ride! |
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| Lamb? Pork? |
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| Chris teaching everyone how to play American football. |
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| Stylish Sanela! |
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| Sunset on Lake Palic, Serbia May 1, 2012. |
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| The background just begged for a jumping picture! |
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| We're finding more and more jumpers! |
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| Good Night Lake Palic! |
May 1st is not Serbia's Labor Day. It is international Workers' Day (also known as May Day)a celebration of the international labour movement. May 1st is a national holiday in more than 80 countries and celebrated unofficially in many other countries.
ReplyDeleteOps - I had posted an incomplete blog post. Thanks for correcting me, and I just updated this post to reflect that indeed, May 1st is not only a Serbian holiday. It was the first time we worked in a country that made May 1st a holiday. :)
DeleteI saw a post about may 1st on the canadian serbian blog, it was a great laugh.. and now your post hahaha Love it :))
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I wish America celebrated May Day too. . . but I guess we have Memorial Day and Labor Day so another holiday would maybe be overkill. It was a fun day for sure.
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