Where does the Maypole come from and what does it signify

A.
Thanks to jayne b-t for this question. Maypole dancing takes places on and around May Day. May Day is the only major festival of pre-Christian Europe not adapted by the Christian church for its own purposes.< xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" />

Q. But why was May Day celebrated

A. It's part of a yearly cycle that includes midwinter and harvest celebrations. It stands midway between the long, cold nights of winter and the days of plenty at summer's end, with symbolism and ceremony that reflects its important position.

Q. Such as

A. Across Europe, the symbol of the day is spring growth and the hope is for fecundity and plenty. In Medieval times, May Day became the favourite holiday in many English villages. Traditionally, youths spent the eve of May Day in neighbouring woods and awoke the villagers the next morning by visiting each house, singing a traditional carol and bearing garlands of fresh leaves and flowers.

Q. Hmm. That must have been fun.

A. Well, I suppose they didn't get out much in those days. These young men might also disguise one of their number as Jack-in-the-Green, covering him with leaves, branches and flowers. Jack and his followers danced around the town collecting money for a feast later.

Q. And where does the pole come in

A. In many villages, these young people also cut down trees, which they then put up as Maypoles. Each pole served as a gathering place for community dancing and plays. Traditional dramas on May Day commemorate the triumph of summer over winter. A young king and queen of the May are chosen to preside. Sometimes they are dressed as Robin Hood and Maid Marian, with members of their entourage representing Friar Tuck, Little John, and Robin's other merry men.

Q. These rituals all seem a little modern. Weren't the Druids involved

A. Some believe May Day celebrations began with the tree worship of the Druids. The Maypole was a pagan symbol of fertility. Others believe they go back to the spring festivals of ancient Egypt and India. Nations conquered by the Romans developed their May Day festivals from the Roman festival of Floralia. In this festival, held in April, the Romans gathered spring flowers to honour the goddess of springtime, Flora.

Q. So, what is Maypole dancing

A. Attached to the top of the Maypole are strings or ribbons of many colours, traditionally made by maids in the first bloom of their womanhood. Dancers each take a ribbon and as they move around, they plait them around the pole in different patterns. Each village would have an individual pattern. Originally the strings would have been vines or springy twigs knotted together to form a long leafy ribbon. Sometimes there are several rings of girls, with the older ones on the outside. The younger girls plait a simple pattern, and the older girls weave an intricate design.

Q. Why is May Day now linked with demonstrations

A. In 1889 a congress of world Socialist parties in Paris voted to support the American labour movement's demands for an eight-hour day. It chose 1 May, 1890, as a day of demonstrations in favour. Afterwards, 1 May became a holiday called Labour Day in many nations. The holiday was especially important in Communist countries, but has also had special significance for the trades unions and labour movements. Margaret Thatcher abolished May Day as a national holiday in Britain.

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