🕐5 min read
In This Article
In 1611, the King James Bible was published. In 1945, Berlin fell. And in the village of Ottery St Mary, Devon, England, people have been carrying flaming tar barrels on their shoulders through the streets every November for at least three hundred years. Every date is an archaeological site.
The Day
May 2nd is quieter than its predecessor but no less layered. It is the feast day of Saint Athanasius (296-373 CE), the Alexandrian bishop who was exiled five times for his theological stubbornness — making him, arguably, the patron saint of people who will not stop arguing a point even when it costs them everything. The Catholic Church honors him as a Doctor of the Church; his enemies called him “the Black Dwarf” and spent forty years trying to get rid of him.
In the secular world, May 2 carries the weight of Leonardo da Vinci’s death (1519), which occurred at the Chateau d’Amboise in France. The story that he died in the arms of King Francis I is almost certainly apocryphal — Francis was documented elsewhere that day — but it has persisted for five centuries because some stories are too satisfying to surrender to fact.
Also Today
- Baby Day (unofficial, United States) — One of those modern novelty holidays that exists primarily because greeting card companies and social media need content. First observed in the 2000s, no clear origin. File under: holidays that were invented after the internet but pretend they weren’t.
- National Truffle Day (United States) — The chocolate kind, not the fungus kind. Though the fungus truffle (Tuber melanosporum) is more interesting: it grows underground, can only be found by trained pigs or dogs, and sells for up to $3,000 per pound. The chocolate truffle was invented in 1895 by Antoine Dufour and was named for its visual resemblance to the fungus.
- Vesak preparations (Buddhist calendar, variable) — Depending on the year and the specific Buddhist tradition, early May falls near or within the preparations for Vesak (Buddha Day), the most significant Buddhist holiday commemorating the birth, enlightenment, and death of Siddhartha Gautama. The Theravada tradition places all three events on the same full moon day of the month of Vesakha. Mahayana traditions may celebrate them separately.
- Berlin’s fall (1945) — On May 2, 1945, General Helmuth Weidling, commander of the Berlin garrison, surrendered the city to the Soviet 8th Guards Army. The battle had killed an estimated 125,000 German and 80,000 Soviet soldiers. The war in Europe would officially end six days later.
The Backstory: The Man Who Wouldn’t Stay Exiled
Athanasius of Alexandria is one of history’s great stubborn people. In the 4th century, when the Arian heresy — the belief that Jesus was a created being, subordinate to God the Father — was sweeping the Roman Empire and winning the support of multiple emperors, Athanasius stood virtually alone in insisting on what became orthodox Trinitarian doctrine. He was exiled by four different Roman emperors over a span of 17 years. Each time, he returned.
The phrase Athanasius contra mundum (“Athanasius against the world”) became a byword for principled obstinacy. Whether you view him as a hero of doctrinal integrity or an impossibly difficult person depends largely on whether you agree with him. History, which tends to be written by the winners, calls him a saint. His contemporaries called him considerably worse.
He died in his own bed in Alexandria on May 2, 373 CE — one of the few early Christian bishops to do so.
Pin It
May 2: The day Athanasius came back from exile (again), Leonardo died (not in the king’s arms), and someone invented a holiday for babies.
Sources: Anatolios, Khaled. “Athanasius: The Coherence of His Thought” (1998). Nicholl, Charles. “Leonardo da Vinci: The Flights of the Mind” (2004). Keegan, John. “The Second World War” (1989).
Related Articles
- May 1: Beltane, Haymarket, and the Holiday America Refused
- May 3: Machiavelli, the Constitution Nobody Remembers, and the Day We Agreed the Press Should Be Free
- May 6
Who is Saint Athanasius, and why is he celebrated on May 2nd?
St. Athanasius was a 4th-century bishop exiled five times for defending Christian orthodoxy. Honored as a “Doctor of the Church,” he’s a symbol of stubborn faith—perfect for anyone who’s ever argued for what they believe, even when the world pushes back.
Why do people in Ottery St Mary carry flaming tar barrels in November?
They’ve been doing it for 300+ years! The tradition, tied to Guy Fawkes Night, celebrates avoiding regicide plots. It’s a fiery reminder that some rituals stick around because they’re equal parts history, community, and controlled chaos.
Did Leonardo da Vinci really die in King Francis I’s arms?
Probably not—Francis was documented elsewhere that day. But the story’s too poetic to kill. It’s the kind of myth that clings to legends, blending fact and fantasy into a tale we keep retelling because it feels right.
What’s the deal with National Truffle Day—chocolate or mushrooms?
Both! The *fungus* truffle (pricier, dirt-dwelling, pig-sniffed) gets overshadowed by chocolate truffles (invented in 1895). But hey, the real VIP is the $3,000-per-pound underground treasure. Treat your taste buds to either—no judgment.
You Might Also Like
Every Date Has a Story
The strange, forgotten, and world-changing events behind every day on the calendar. Delivered weekly.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.