There is a special place in my heart for May celebrations, including the English May Day and also Beltane. These are traditionally with dancing around maypoles using ribbons and weaving them around as dancers circle. This represents the seasons, cycles and fertility. The ancient roots of this tradition of Maypole dancing goes back more than 2,000 years during the time of Roman rule. Over time the Maypole dancing and ribbon features appeared in the 18th or 19th centuries.
Other customs include the "Bread and Cheese Tree", which is the Hawthorn tree, where the early leaves are edible and sweet. This is not to be confused with the May sport which is almost a funny tradition of Cheese Rolling. There will be May celebrations including Morris Dancers, a folk dance with men and women, and depending on whereabouts in the country, the costumes are different.
Enjoy May Day!
Storm Valkyrie
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