2. MAYPOLE
• What did you do?
• When did you go?
• Who heped you?
• How many people were there?
• Why is it special for you?
• Where is it celebrated?
3. May Day
The first day of the month of May is known as
May Day. It is the time of year when warmer
weather begins and flowers and trees start to
blossom. It is said to be a time of love and
romance. It is when people celebrate the coming
of summer with lots of different customs that are
expressions of joy and hope after a long winter.
Traditional English May Day celebrations include
Morris dancing, crowning a May Queen and
dancing around a Maypole, parades...
5. History.
Historians agree that the Maypole began as a part of the
Pagan May Day festival known as Beltane in the UK and
Ireland and Walpurgis in Germanic European countries. The
Maypole dance was almost definitely a fertility rite meant to
symbolize the union of the masculine and feminine, which is a
major theme in May Day celebrations across the historical
Pagan footprint.
For the Celts, Beltane was a festival where fires were set to
mark the beginning of summer.
The Romans celebrated the festival of Flora, goddess of fruit
and flowers, which marked the beginning of summer. It was
held annually from April 28th to May 3rd.
6. More details
The month of May is considered to be the time of love and new life.
The maypole was usually put up by a young man for the girl he
loved.
Mostly tall straight trees served as maypoles, especially firs and
pines with their bark peeled off. Their tops were decorated with
colourful ribbons.
Maypoles were put up at night and on the next Sunday, the young
men went round the houses with maypoles in front of them and
they collected “fees” for the coming festivity - the may ball.
The custom has been preserved till nowadays, though it is modified
a little. Usually only one decorated tree is put up in the middle of
the village or the main square.
Once installed, maypole usually remains on site the entire month.
7.
8. The event happens every three years, not annually –
the last one was in 2017. The next Maypole raising will
take place in 2020 on Monday 25th May.
Elmet- ENGLAND
