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Welcome to our spotlight on May. Although May officially is the last month of spring, many people view it as the start of summer. The first day of the month is known as May Day. It is the time of year when warmer weather begins and flowers and trees start to blossom. May is said to be the window to summer, with people up and down the country participating or observing long standing traditions and customs including dancing round the maypole, Morris dancing and the crowning of the May Queen. And it all beings with May Day.
1st May – May Day
The first Monday of May is a bank holiday in the United Kingdom and is known as May Day. It probably originated as a Roman festival honouring the beginning of the summer season. May Day celebrations have been carried out in England for over 2,000 years. Romans celebrated in honour of Flora, goddess of fruit, fertility and flowers and many of today’s May Day festivities retain these early celebrations.
The most well-known symbol of May Day is the maypole. The maypole is a tall pole garlanded with greenery or flowers and often hung with ribbons that are woven into complex patterns by dancers circling the pole. Such dances are survivals of ancient dances around a living tree as part of spring rites to ensure fertility. After the ribbons have been wound onto the pole the dancers then begin to dance backwards, reversing the path of the dance to unwind the ribbons again. A typical maypole can have 10 or often many more dancers. Many schools, particularly in rural areas, organize displays of maypole dancing and today, dancing the maypole is a fun and visually stunning spectacle.
Another long standing tradition associated with the beginning of May is morris dancing. This type of dancing is nearly always carried out exclusively by men who dress in white with bells on various parts of their costumes and carry scarves and long wooden sticks. The origins of morris dancing is unclear although it is believed the name ‘morris’ may be a derivative of the Moors of North Africa who came to England during the Crusades in the late 11th Century.
Today, May Day is celebrated in various forms up and down the country. In Oxford, Magdalen College students are known to leap from Magdalen Bridge into the River Cherwell. Another May Day celebration is seen in Padstow, Cornwall. Known as the Obby-Oss Day of Festivities, locals dance in the streets alongside accordian players who keep them company providing music. The festival sees the whole town decorated, and thousands typically attend.
And in Rochester the Sweeps’ festival takes place on May Day. This remembers the traditional holiday for chimney sweeps that used to take place on May 1 – the one day in the year when they could have some fun. Why not click on the links below and have a go at our May Day word search and why not help the children make some delicious May Pole cup cakes.
15th – 21st May – Christian Aid Week
This week marks Christian Aid week, the organisation working to end poverty around the world. Christian Aid started in 1945 when a large group of British and Irish churches set up ‘Christian Reconstruction in Europe’. Their aim was to help resettle refugees in Europe after World War II. In 1957, the group decided to hold a ‘Christian Aid Week’ to raise awareness and money for the charity. This became and annual even and because of its success, in 1964 the organisation changed its name to Christian Aid.
Refugees remain the main focus of the work, but over the years Christian Aid has broadened its reach. It now works with some of the world’s poorest nations, campaigning and working with Governments to change aid, trade and debt policies. They also helped establish the Fairtrade Foundation. Today, Christian Aid works with more than 600 overseas partners in 45 countries. During Christian Aid week, volunteers give their time to drop red envelopes through their local community’s letterboxes, returning in a week to collect them. Donations made via the red envelopes last year generated over £9 million with the money going to help fund Christian Aid projects around the world.
30th May – Spring Bank Holiday
The spring bank holiday started as the Monday after Pentecost (the Christian holy day that celebrates the descent of the Holy Ghost to the 12 Apostles at Pentecost). This is known as Whitsun or Whit Monday in the United Kingdom. The Banking and Financial Dealings Act 1971, moved this bank holiday to the last Monday in May, following a trial period of this arrangement from 1965 to 1970.
Originally written 1 May 2016