Things to Know

de bene esse: literally, of well-being, morally acceptable but subject to future validation or exception
 

Primrose

[prim-rohz]

Primrose ultimately comes from the Medieval Latin prima rosa literally meaning "first rose," because it blooms so early in the springtime. Despite the literal translation of its name, the primrose, which entered English in the first half of the fifteenth century, is not a rose at all. It is, however, edible, and its flowers can be made into wine.

Spring fever

 

In the 1945 Rodgers and Hammerstein musical State Fair, the love-sick ingenue sings, "Oh, why should I have spring fever, when it isn't even spring?" The symptoms of this pseudo-illness, which entered English in the mid-1800s, go in two opposite directions: a sense of torpor associated with the season change, or a sense of new-found energy after being confined mostly indoors for the winter. In Old English, and even as late as the 1300s, Lent was used to refer to the post-winter season, though by the end of the fourteenth century, spring had firmly taken its place.

April fool

 

Pranks executed on the first of April began occurring in continental Europe as early as the mid-1600s, crossing over to the English-speaking world in the late seventeenth century. The targets of these jokes were called April fools. Traditions vary worldwide; in France, the term poisson d'avril literally meaning "fish of April," describes a traditional trick in which the prankster discretely pins a paper fish to the back of an unknowing victim's shirt on April 1st.

Equinox

[ee-kwuh-noks, ek-wuh-]

Equinox came to English from the Medieval Latin equi- + noct meaning "equally of night (and day)." Twice a year, generally once in late March and once in late September, the sun's path crosses the equator, making the length of day and night more or less the same. The equinox occurring in March is sometimes referred to as the vernal equinox using the Latin root ver meaning "spring."

Beltane

[bel-teyn, -tin]

Beltane, an ancient Celtic festival, comes to English from the Gaelic word bealltainn which literally means "May 1st." Traditionally large bonfires would be lit to celebrate this transition from spring to summer, usually in areas dense with people of Celtic ancestry. Perhaps the most notable blowout of this kind is the annual Beltane Fire Festival held in Edinburgh, Scotland. In modern times the neo-pagan community, often associated with the art of fire dancing, have embraced the Beltane festivities.

May

[mey]

The fifth month of the year, which has been around since Old English was spoken, is thought to have gotten its name from the Roman earth goddess, Maia. The holiday May Day falls on the first day of May, giving people a chance to celebrate spring with various outdoor activities, including dancing around a maypole. May Day is not to be confused with the distress call mayday used by ships and airplanes. This more bleak sense came to English in the early 1900s from the French m'aidez literally meaning "help me!"