Mendon celebrates 148th annual May Day
May 4th, 2010 Posted in Arts and LifeStory by Cathy Morgan
Photos by Karole Sorensen
MENDON–With singing songs of the spring under bright blue skies, Mendon held its annual May Day celebration Saturday and crowned their 148th queen.
Since the spring of 1863, Mendon, Utah, has held an annual celebration welcoming the coming spring. With 106 children dancing around the Maypoles this year, the songs Straying and Maying and Come to the Woodland were sung,.
The town considers this celebration a time for family, friends and the citizens of Mendon.
This year’s queen Taunie Rasmussen said she had never gotten to dance around the Maypole when she was younger so this was a good opportunity.
To pick their queen, the high school junior girls of the town 
are invited to a mother-daughter tea the beginning of March, then gather at the Mendon station. There, the girls that want to participate put their names in a hat where the mayor draws one out and reveals the chosen queen.
This tradition was brought over and celebrated by the pioneers. It was also very common in England and the Scandinavian countries. As with all traditions, the same songs are always played and the same speeches are given but it is always something different.
Karole Sorensen said, “We had a good window of opportunity and it was beautiful this year.”
The event is held no matter rain or shine. If the weather is bad then the dances are moved indoors and the speech is still given at the church.
“On Friday nights the USU dance team came and taught us a waltz,” Rasmussen said. “I had a lot of fun spending time with the court.”
It is amazing to have such an event be preserved and cherished for as long as May Day has been. It is a way of not just honoring their youth but also to welcome the spring and its flowers.
NW
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