May Day and the Maypole – Spring Traditions
Remembering Ancient Traditions and Forgotten Celebrations
Feb 18, 2009
May Day, a traditional pagan holiday that originated in Germanic-speaking countries some time after the fall of Rome, is technically a celebration of summer – midsummer, halfway to the summer solstice to be exact. But since this celebration falls at the beginning of May, it is also a celebration of the transition from spring to summer, and has ties to other Springtime festivals and celebration. The Maypole, a pole crafted traditionally from maple, hawthorn or birch, is a common symbol of these celebrations, and is involved in celebrations from Germany to England.
May Day, Beltane and Midsummer
These celebrations, taking place consistently on May 1, or very close to it, and celebrate the official beginning of summer. They are, of course, almost completely exclusive to the Northern Hemisphere, and put their roots down in Western Europe. May Day and the more Gaelic Beltane emerged from celebrations like that of Flora, the Roman godess of flowers, and Walpurgisnacht. Walpurgisnacht is a Norse-Germanic festival that has been adopted by Roman Catholics and other more modern groups – originally this celebration was to commemorate the time Odin died in order to retrieve the runes, and this night was said to be a time of weakness in the boundary between the living and the dead. Many bonfires were built to stave off the spirits of the dead, and when the sun came up, there was a great celebration of the return of the light, similar to May Day celebrations. As Europe was Christianized, many of the pagan elements of May Day were lost, and a more secular version emerged. Many of the modern celebrations seen today have evolved from this.
Dancing and the Maypole
The traditional Maypole is a largely Germanic device, popular mostly in Germany and the countries surrounding it, but versions of the Maypole can be found in Sweden, Greece, Finland and England. In most cases the only significant similarity is the inclusion of a large wooden pole – in Greece the pole has a emphasized phallic symbolism, and is decorated with flowers and fruits. In Sweden the nature and design of the pole varies, but there is often dancing, and it especially enjoyed by young children. England's maypole's most often have the 'traditional' intertwining ribbons and related dances. Appearing in many forms and permutations, the maypole is a symbol that is celebrated and enjoyed across great cultural distances.
Spring Celebrations
Though these ancient celebrations and rituals have fallen out of practice, it is good to take time to remember them. They bring to mind the connections between ancient cultures and the sharing of ancestral roots that many modern countries share. They also have an innocent and wildly celebratory nature that is often lost in the modern world – wild parties do not have to be filled with debauchery and vice, or take place only in dark, noisy clubs. They can have real significance, in both the natural and artificial spheres, if only ancient ways of celebrating the rebirth of the world can be remembered.
