Decidedly Differing Meanings for Costa Mesa’s “May Day”
Although May Day springtime festivals aren’t nearly as prominent as they once were, for many Costa Mesa residents, the first day of May is still a sentimental marker for the time of year when winter’s chill can be pretty much tossed in the memory bin. Cold waves may still dominate Costa Mesa weather reports, but they can now be treated as newsworthy anomalies. And Punxsutawney Phil’s dubious reliability scorecard can now be officially improved—this year, he was right: spring was slow in coming.
Outside of elementary schools, European folk customs (like dancing around the Maypole) have never been staples here in the U.S.—although more than one child may still be expected to gather flowers and surreptitiously hang a basket where Mom will find it.
The ancient roots of Costa Mesa’s May Day observance go back to pagan festivals celebrating the arrival of Spring—a decidedly welcome event for medieval peoples dependent on the Sun’s warmth to usher in the growing season. It’s ironic that European despots hijacked the date to parade their war-making machinery in public. Go figure.
And then there is the alarming second meaning for “May Day”—as a distress signal. When repeated three times over radio waves,“ MAY DAY MAY DAY MAY DAY” means “HELP!!!!” according to an international agreement. If that seems oddly inappropriate, it’s only because the origin of that alternative to “SOS” isn’t well known. It was created by an early English airfield superintendent who adopted the French for ‘help me’—“m’aider” (pronounced something like ‘mid-dee’), which English speakers misunderstood (and insisted on spelling).
Costa Mesa’s May Day is now upon us. Here’s hoping the good weather predominates this spring. If your own 2023 is to involve Costa Mesa real estate matters, we hope you’ll include a call to us on the calendar!
We are built on a philosophy of Heritage & Hustle. The L3 is a full service real estate agency with a regional office located in the heart of #CostaMesa, offering a wide-array of custom services to meet their clients’ needs with roots in the community since 1976. It’s L3 mission is to provide trusted, convenient, responsive service to ensure clients enjoy their real estate experience. The L3 was originally formed to offer personal, concierge-level service as an alternative to the large, nationally based real estate companies. From its small beginnings of only two employees, The L3 has grown to a full staff of 25 serving over 300 clients a year. The L3 is not limited to serving just its clients; it is also committed to serving the community. Not only has The L3 donated hundreds of hours to many area charities, they have also received the prestige of being named one of the #toprealestatecompaniesinCostaMesa If you’re interested in #buyingorsellinginOrangeCounty, turn to the experts. Turn to The L3 and let them help you make your real estate buying or selling dreams come true. For more information or to get started on finding or selling your home contact The L3 today at 714-444-4663 or email us at info@thel3.com
