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Traditional May Day is aother important holiday is May which commonly included school celebrations. Spring and modern May Day festivities have been delebrated through the centuries. Ther origins are not fully known. Some historians link it to ancient tree worship. [Frazer] The traditional May Day rites and celebrations in England include Morris dancing, crowning a May Queen, and children decorating May polls. Child dancers commonly circle with ribbons. The English traditions had various pagan roots. There was Flora in ancient Rome as well as Celtic traditios. Perhaps the most important were Anglo-Saxon customs which were observed during 'Þrimilci-mōnaþ'. The Old English language name for the month of May meant 'Month of Three Milkings'. Spring festivals reached their height in England during the Middle Ages. Traditionlly, on the first day of May, English villagers awakened at daybreak to roam the countryside gathering blossoming flowers and branches. A towering maypole was set up on the village green. This pole, usually made of the trunk of a tall birch tree, was decorated with bright field flowers. The villagers then danced and sang around the maypole, accompanied by a piper. Usually the Morris dance was performed by dancers wearing bells on their colorful costumes. Often the fairest maiden of the village was chosen queen of the May. Sometimes a May king was also chosen. These two led the village dancers and ruled over the festivities. In Elizabethan times, the king and queen were called Robin Hood and Maid Marian. Maypoles were usually set up for the day in small towns, but in London and the larger towns they were erected permanently. They were considered heathen eyesores by the Puritans. May Day festivals became so gay and wild that the Puritans were able to force the government to forbid them. They soon sprang up again, however, and still continue in many English villages. In cities like London children begn going from house to house bringing flowers in return for pennies. After the pennies are collected, they are thrown into a wishing well. Special wishes are made with hopes they will be granted. The pennies are later collected and given to different charitable organizations. May Day celebrations contnue to be most important in agricultural towns and villages celebrating the springtime fertility of the soil, livestock, and people. The traditional revelry with village fetes and community gatherings has been toned down a bit in recent years.
Traditional May Day is aother important holiday is May which commonly included school celebrations. Spring and modern May Day festivities have been celebrated through the centuries. Some historians link it to ancient tree worship. [Frazer] It is most commonly associated with the Celts, but mzy well have predated them. There was Flora in ancient Rome as well as Celtic traditios. There are also Anglo-Saxon roots. Perhaps the most important were Anglo-Saxon customs which were observed during 'Þrimilci-mōnaþ'. The Old English language name for the month of May meant 'Month of Three Milkings'. Spring festivals reached their height in England during the Middle Ages and are well documented. Traditionlly, on the first day of May, English villagers awakened at daybreak to roam the countryside gathering blossoming flowers and branches.
Child dancers commonly circle with ribbons. A towering maypole was set up on the village green. This pole, usually made of the trunk of a tall birch tree, was decorated with bright field flowers. The villagers then danced and sang around the maypole, accompanied by a piper. Maypoles were usually set up for the day in small towns, but in London and the larger towns they were erected permanently. They were considered heathen eyesores by the Puritans. Moodern may poll celebratiins have different age groups dancing around a Maypole celebrating both youth and the arrival of spring.
Usually the Morris dance was performed by dancers wearing bells on their colorful costumes.
Often the fairest maiden of the village was chosen queen of the May. Early celevbations had nothing to do with schools. It was a village event. Sometimes a May king was also chosen. These two led the village dancers and ruled over the festivities. In Elizabethan times, the king and queen were called Robin Hood and Maid Marian. The modern May Queen rides or walks at the front of a parade for May Day celebrations. She wears a white gown to symbolise purity and usually some kind of tiara or crown. Her primry function is to begin the May Day celebrations. She is generally crowned with flowers and must make a speech before the dancing begins. There are a variety of traditions of uncertain origins. One folk tradition has a kind of a dark account. The May Queen was put to death at the end of the festivities, perhaps an ancient Celtic legend. In the 20th century, May Day celebrations and May Queens became primarily a school event. They seem very common in the first half of the 20th century. Almost all of the photgrphs we have found come from this period. We have found very few school or any other May Day celebration imahes in the second half of the 20th century.
In cities like London children begn going from house to house bringing flowers in return for pennies. After the pennies are collected, they are thrown into a wishing well. Special wishes are made with hopes they will be granted. The pennies are later collected and given to different charitable organizations.
May Day festivals became so gay and wild that the Puritans were able to force the government to forbid them. They soon sprang up again, however, and still continue in many English villages.
May Day celebrations contnue to be most important in agricultural towns and villages celebrating the springtime fertility of the soil, livestock, and people. The traditional revelry with village fetes and community gatherings has been toned down a bit in recent years.
Frazer, James George Frazer. The Golden Bough Ch X is "Relics of Tree Worship in Modern Europe".
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