Moving Day

Moving Day

May 1; May 25

The idea of packing up one's belongings and changing residences on a particular day has been a tradition in many countries. In 19th-century America, May 1st was the normal day for the inhabitants of Boston and New York to change their place of residence, since leases normally expired on this day.
In Scotland, it was called Flitting Day and took place on May 25. The decision of whether to "sit or flit" was up to the tenant, but "flitting" seemed to be more common. On Flitting Day they had to vacate their houses by noon, which often meant a great upheaval for the family during the preceding day or two. But apparently the novelty value of flitting outweighed the boredom of sitting. In some parts of Scotland, this occurs on May 1, and is also called Term Day .
In Norway, Moving Day or Flyttedag takes place sometime during the autumn months. But rather than being a day for changing residences, it is a day when servants searching for employment flock to the larger towns and cities dressed in the costumes of their native villages. Sometimes they ride in small carts or wagons, piled high with painted trunks or bundles of clothing and other possessions. While city residents take advantage of this opportunity to interview their help for the coming year, the servants seeking employment often try to sell their produce, farm animals, and handicrafts on the street.

SOURCES:
BkDays-1864, vol. I, p. 679
BkFest-1937, p. 252
DictDays-1988, p. 42
FestWestEur-1958, p. 155
FolkWrldHol-1999, p. 320

Celebration days: May 1, May 25