It was 5.30am at sunrise on the 1st May. People were up with the lark. Girls were singing and dancing, muscians playing, Morris Men with bells on their legs danced, words courtesy local novelist and poet, Laurie Lee, were delivered, lots of children and dogs too were all marking the beginning of summer high up on the Cotswold escarpment where we live.
May festivities were first recorded in Ancient Roman times. The Floralia - the Festival of Flora- took place at the end of April beginning of May in honour of the goddess of flowers, fertility and spring. It involved athletic games and theatrical performances.
In the British Isles the first day of May began to emerge as a day of feasting and dancing in towns and villages from the medieval period. A host of exuberant traditions developed to mark the day, now mainly forgotten. 
In Victorian and Edwardian times a May Queen was chosen, not many happy faces here! 
I love your photos of your local May Day celebration! It's always nice to see old traditions honoured.
ReplyDeleteThere must have been at least 100 people present who finally processed down from the Common, singing as they went to the local pub. The pub opened very early in order to serve them soft drinks, hot drinks, bacon rolls and cake.
DeleteWhen I was in primary school in the middle 1950s in Melbourne, the girls learned how to dance around the May Pole, each one holding a silken sheet in her hand. It was so attractive to watch.
ReplyDeleteBut I didn't know it was related to a holiday celebration or that gathering wildflowers was involved.
Plaiting the ribbons on a May Pole is difficult to achieve but lots of fun when it works well.
DeleteOh my goodness dear Rosemary, this is such a charming, beautiful post of the May Day tradition. I love your collage and that little girl looks so "English" and sweet. in the floral wreath. The vintage photo is interesting - the girls appear to be wearing wings.
ReplyDeleteI danced the Maypole in primary school - we had a permanent one set up in the playground and we danced on different occasions, including Parents Day. I recall we also danced at other locations, such as church fétes. I remember we had both girls and boys dancing - I love that illustration you show.
Happy May to you and J dear - hope things are going well.
Mary x
Dear Mary - they do look as if they are wearing wings but I think they are actually the tops of their capes. I am pleased that you have memories of May Pole dancing - somthing that never ever came into my sphere of experiences. Happy May to you and Bob too and even more beautiful flowers in your garden💐
DeleteI have always wanted to see Morris men do their dance. Loved your photos, and then those poor children who all look so sad/mad to having to be in that place for a photograph! They do look precious, captured in all their own feelings of the torture of sitting/standing just so!
ReplyDeleteYou can find Morris Men dancing on youtube e.g. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V72qxbTu5ao
DeleteApparently Victorian and early Edwardian people and children always looked solemn on photos because photography exposures took so long: The shortest method (the daguerreotype method) could last as long as 15 minutes. Having your photo taken was not a common event and so they wanted to try and look their best for the photo.
Such a wonderful feast, dear Rosemary!
ReplyDeleteI had to laugh about the old photograph with the May Queen - they look so sullen, and that might be because photographs took much more time than nowadays (here I speak of cellphone-snapshots).
Glad that you enjoyed Britta - you are totally correct regarding the photo of the children looking so sullen as photos needed such a long exposure.
DeleteQuite a tradition.
ReplyDeleteThese traditions go back a very long way.
DeleteWhat wonderful celebrations for May Day. No such traditions here. Your post takes me back to 2016 when we discovered the Laurie Lee Walking Trail in the Slad Valley. The high beech trees made it very pleasant as the day was scorchingly hot.
ReplyDeleteI have taken that walk too - it would have been lovely if we could have met up during your visit.
DeleteWhat a wonderful celebration of the coming of Spring. (I suppose here it would be November Day). It is great that these traditions are still alive. There is a newish "Troup" of Morris Dancers here in Whangarei although I have not seen them yet.
ReplyDeleteIt was fun but a 5.30 sunrise is a very early start to the day.
DeleteLovely images of an exuberant morning. Definitely worth celebrating the start of summer. The Romans had the right idea :) B x
ReplyDeleteThey had lots fun and wore fantastic outfits too.
DeleteGreat photos of the event. I must admit that I've never been up at dawn to join in the celebrations, even though I have an interest in Morris dancing and things of that ilk. I have however played for Maypole dancing. This was when I worked in a school for children with disabilities and learning difficulties. We set up a Maypole in the grounds and spent a lot of time teaching simple dances. Until you've seen children in wheelchairs weave in and out of each other you just haven't seen a knotty tangle. Great fun though!
ReplyDeleteThat was a lovely thing to do with the children in their wheelchairs - I suspect that it was one of those unforgetable moments to cherish over the years.
DeleteThe photos are good to see Rosemary. I must look up why we don't celebrate May Day..
ReplyDeleteI think that it might be because this is a medieval pagan tradtion from hundreds of years ago - it is part of our heritage.
DeleteI always like to see traditions like that still thriving as that's what local communities are all about. One of the reasons The Wicker Man film continues to resonate today is that the main songs feel very authentic, deep and powerful, combined with the images and the story-line. England has far more examples than Scotland with the ancient practices more established and largely uninterrupted over centuries down there.
ReplyDeleteYou also have many very unique Scottish traditions too Bob - wearing kilts, playing bagpipes, the Highland games along with tossing the caber, Burns Night with haggis etc.
DeleteHello Rosemary, I recall reading an explanation that the seemingly nonsensical phrase "gathering nuts in May" was historically "knots in May" which referred to flowers being gathered for "knots" which could refer to garlands, bouquets, and the like. (On the other hand, I have never seen the "knots" usage in old books, and when searching it only, I only find references to the "nuts in May" explanation, not to early literature.)
ReplyDeleteWhen collecting old photos, May-dance scenes, with poles and ribbons, are surprisingly common--the spectacle apparently was a photo-magnet.
--Jim
Hello Jim - when you think about it is certainly a strangely worded rhyme - but it does make more sense if it refers to flowers being gathered for knots i.e referring to garlands etc.
DeleteIf a May Pole dance is done correctly then it can be quite a spectacle when all of the ribbons are plaited.
I remember being in a small town called Abbot's Bromley in Staffordshire when a local festival was taking place and they had horn dancing going on. My impression was that people were more interested in the ice cream van than the dances!
ReplyDeleteNo ice cream vans were around on out Common last Monday, and most of those present joined in with the fun.
DeleteYour photos show how May Day celebration is so fun and lovely, Rosemary. I like to see the traditions and customs of your country (including yesterday’s Coronation of King Charles III) and how they have been kept for long. May Day in my country is simply workers’ day, but special to me as my grandson’s birthday.
ReplyDeleteYoko
Our grandchildren's birthday are very special occasions, each one to be loved and cherished by us, their grandparents. I am pleased that May Day is a special day for you and your grandson.
DeleteWhat a lovely celebration! Wow!
ReplyDeleteTitti
Lots of fun was had Titti - happy greetings to youX
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