Hurray! It's May!

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It's Labour Day and a holiday like in many other European countries. But it's not only a political day, it's also a day steeped in tradition. Either the night before or on 1st May proper, elaborately decorated maypoles are erected in many parts of Germany (depending on the custom it's taken down after a month or remains standing for the whole year). The erection is usually accompanied by festivities. I know from villages in the north of the country that young men watch the pole during the first night. Watching a pole isn't a thrilling occupation, so they drink a lot of beer to pass the time. Why is there a vigil at all? Part of the tradition is to steal a maypole from a neighbouring village without being noticed. Depending on the amount of beer the pole watching troop has drunk the men stay awake or fall asleep after some time and the theft can be executed by their 'foes' from behind the next hill. Why would one village want to have two maypoles? Oh, they don't want to keep it. They're very willing to give it back for a suitable amount of beer! Read what Wikipedia has to say on the topic: "Primarily found within the nations of Germanic Europe and the neighbouring areas which they have influenced, its origins remain unknown, although it has been speculated that it originally had some importance in the Germanic paganism of Iron Age and early Medieval cultures, and that the tradition survived Christianisation, albeit losing any original meaning that it had." What the original meaning was is still being discussed. Germanic tribes worshipped sacred trees. The universe was seen as a world tree, known as Yggdrasil. The maypoles may be a remnant of these beliefs. But non-Germanic people have viewed maypoles as having phallic symbolism. Not surprisingly, the psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud supported this view. It is said that the poles were first erected by the Romans. Whatever. Weather permitting religious processions take place in many places. The erection of the maypoles on the village green or in the town centres may be accompanied by festivities and dancing. Brass bands play. Every year the local newspaper read in our area organises a competition for the most beautiful maypole. Photos of maypoles are printed and the readers vote which one looks best. I don’t know what the first prize is but I wouldn't be surprised if it were some barrels of beer! If you have five minutes to spare, watch this video showing a ribbon dance round a maypole. It's amazing! I couldn't take part in it, I'd get the ribbons in a muddle, I'm afraid.