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May Day
Morris sides dance at sunrise and children plait ribbons round the maypole to welcome summer.
What is danced for May Day
The first of May is the old start of summer in much of Europe. In England, morris sides get up before dawn to dance the sun up on hilltops and village greens, with bells at the knee and sticks or handkerchiefs in hand. Children dance round a maypole, each holding a ribbon, weaving in and out until the pole is plaited. In Padstow in Cornwall two hobby horses dance through the streets all day to one tune. A week later, on 8 May, the people of nearby Helston dance the Furry Dance in and out of the houses.
The dances
Also part of it, and being written: Maypole (Ribbons woven round the pole by a ring of dancers.), 'Obby 'Oss festival (The hobby horse that dances through Padstow.).
Written by the Ghungroo desk with AI assistance. Background: "May Day" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Morris dance: Des Blenkinsopp, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Furry Dance: Steve G, CC BY-SA 2.0, source
- Border Morris: PEHowland, CC BY-SA 3.0, source