Traditions of May Day, May pole, Baskets, activities, celebrations

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May Day

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Traditions

The original Beltane (Mayday) celebration was intended to ensure the fertility of the land, couples would spend the night together in the woods and greet the May sun returning with green wood, flowers and garlands to decorate the village. The man represented the god Bel (fire and the sun) while the woman represented the earth (the earth goddess). Since it was the joining of the two that ensured the crops would grow.

Dancing around the May-Pole is a tradition that survived, despite the efforts the Christian Church, up until the 1960s in British schools.

Padstow 'Obby 'Oss festival
In Padstow, England, the ’Obby ’Oss festival is the remnant of an ancient fertility rite, probably related to the Beltane feast since it takes place on May Eve when the townsfolk sing the Morning Song at midnight. In the morning the town is dressed in green, and flowers are placed around the May-Pole. The main event is when men dress as one of the two ’Obby ’Osses (Hobby Horse) either the "Old" or the "Blue Ribbon" and dance through the town prodded by the grotesque "teasers" who also try to catch maidens under their cloaks. At midnight of May Day the townsfolk sing the ’Obby ’Oss death until its resurrection the next year.

Ickwell May Day
Although the first record of the Ickwell (and Northill) festival occurs in 1565, after it had been

Christianised, it is almost certainly a Beltane festival. The only unique feature of the Ickwell celebration is the May-Pole dance of the Old Scholars – a group of people who attended the village school. The festival includes a crowning of a May Queen.

Other English May Day celebrations
'Hobby Horse' Ceremony in Minehead
'May Carol' from the tower of Magdalen College, Oxford
'May Carol' at the Bargate. Southampton
'May Day' Ceremonies in Knutsford

May pole
A May-Pole is a tall wooden pole traditionally of Birch or Hawthorn, covered in green and flowers. The long ribbons with children weaving them into interesting patterns is a relatively recent addition and was not part of the original.

It is common to refer to the May-Pole as an "obviously phallic" symbol however this is the least likely interpretation – sometimes a big stick stuck in the ground is just a big stick stuck in the ground.

There are those among the Wicca who would like to believe that the May-pole represents the hub of the Earth, of the Wheel of the Year and the hub of Heaven. Unfortunately this also suffers from the problem that the dance and ribbons were a post-Christian influence.
Most likely it’s a glorified, symbolic tree.