May Day (May Day)
Description:
It is almost certain that the British love this month. After all, for almost all 30 days they celebrate something. By the way, except for Easter, Christmas and New Year, all holidays fall on Monday. That’s how, in their own way, in English, they diplomatically solved the problem of “Monday – hard day.”
In May, the British celebrate May Day with street processions and folk festivals. Musicians, jugglers on stilts, minstrels and diners working around the square create a genuine atmosphere of medieval carnival.
On this day, people dance under the May tree, decorated with colorful ribbons, dress up in the Green Jack (Jack-in-the-Green), wrapping themselves in a small arbor of fresh greenery. Jack and his flowers dance around the cities, raising money for a later holiday in the evening. In many villages, young people cut down trees and set them up as a May tree (pillar) in the center of the village. Each such pillar was a gathering place for the rural community for dances and events. Competitions were held everywhere, from catching a dirty pig to whipping butter, so many villagers had the opportunity to take home a beautiful prize. There were even competitions for children, and soon the kids could boast of winning ribbons, toys and bells.
On this day, the King and Queen of May are chosen, who direct events on this day. In the Middle Ages, on this day, girls washed dew, believing that this would make them irresistible for the whole next year. Even on this holiday, archery competitions were always held. There were national dances and songs. And you can also remember the national hero - Robin Hood. It was on this day that he was captured by the Sheriff of Nottinghamshire. Robin couldn't resist showing off his skill in shooting competitions. That love of the contest allowed the sheriff to grab him.
However, the origins of May Day are unknown, and what is known about its history is thought-provoking. The festival is clearly not based on the magical ritual of preserving the fertility of cereals, as it was supposed at the time, but rather it was an expression of the community's ideas of happiness and pleasure. The emphasis of the holiday was on solidarity and human unity, not on anything supernatural or metaphysical.
The spring holiday dates back to ancient rituals dedicated to agriculture and resurrection, as well as the May Tree, which connects heaven and earth. The pagan origin of the May tree confirms the existence of a similar attribute in ancient Greek and ancient Roman spring rituals dedicated to Attis. The English strengthened the symbolism of fertility, adding to the pole (male) disc (feminine). Dancers unwind the ribbons so that they rotate around a pole, which symbolizes the creation of the world from the central axis (this is similar to the rites in honor of Attis and confirms the Roman origin of this holiday).