Mayday: Maypole Dancing and More
Mayday is an English holiday and most of the customs we associate with Mayday come from English traditions. The observance of Mayday, however, is much older and comes down from two influences, Celtic and Roman.
In the ancient Celtic calendar, Beltaine was one of four fire feasts that marked the passing of the year. Beltaine was the feast that welcomed the sun back from its’ long journey and brought summer. On Beltaine, fires were lit. Cattle were driven between two fires to drive away evil spirits and to seek good luck. Dancers sometimes danced around the fires and even leapt over the flames, which brought good luck for the coming year if the leap was a successful one. Marriages or handfastings were common at Beltaine and the fairy folk were said to be active. Beltaine celebrated fertility as well.
Romans celebrated Floralia or the feast of the Roman goddess of fruit and flowers, Flora, on May 1. Like Beltaine, the celebration marked the beginning of summer. Celebrations that featured dancing, flower chains, fruit displays, and feasting were common throughout the Roman Empire.
Since the Romans once ruled Britain and the Celts called the same island home, speculation that both cultures added to the observance of Mayday, an English tradition dating back to ancient times. Mayday was also popular in other European countries including Germany and Switzerland but the English style celebration is by far the most elaborate.
One of the centerpieces of a traditional Mayday celebration in England was the Maypole, a tall tree that was cut and removed to a central location such as a village green. Maypoles could be anywhere from 12 to 60 feet in height and were bedecked with flowers. Dancers circled the Maypole in an intricate dance. By the 1880’s, it had become common for dancers to wind ribbons around the Maypole but in the earliest depictions of Maypole dancing, there are no ribbons.
Some scholars speculate that this is because Maypole dancing has pagan origins, something that early Puritans believed when they banned Maypole dancing in the 16th century. An ancient tree worship ceremony that involved dancers who danced in a circle around a tree seems similar to Maypole dancing. The tree worshippers would touch the tree as they danced to bring fertility and good fortune.
No matter what the origin, the Mayday tradition and Maypoles are a favorite English custom. Although King Charles II restored the tradition in the 17th century, Mayday was not a public observance for many years. In 1975, however, the British observance became an official holiday again. Cities and towns throughout Britain celebrate Mayday with Maypoles, Morris dancers, Queen of May, and more.
Morris dancers dance in circles with six to eight at a time. Morris dancers are often men but can be women but never both genders in one dance. Handkerchiefs are waved during the dance and special garments are worn.
The tradition of crowning a lovely young woman Queen of May is also ancient. In many villages both a King and Queen of May were named to preside over the festivities. In some areas, a couple is designated Robin Hood and Maid Marian in a similar tradition.
Children often gathered flowers and made small baskets to place on the doorsteps of adults on May 1. Young women rose early to wash their face in the dawn dew to bring beauty. Another part of many Mayday celebrations was an archery competition among the men. Many of the young women participants in a Maypole dance wore white and floral garlands.
The custom was transported to the United States but has never been as popular or as widely celebration. School children often danced around the Maypole and in some areas, students still do a traditional Maypole dance. Concerns about the possible origins of the custom and holiday have caused officials in some locations to shelve the custom, often objected to by religious conservatives.
Mayday remains a popular holiday among those who mark it. With spring budding and bursting in bloom all around, Mayday seems the perfect way to celebrate warm weather.
