On the first Monday of May, the British celebrate May Day.
This traditional spring holiday is accompanied by street processions and folk festivities. Musicians, jugglers on stilts, minstrels and taverns create a genuine atmosphere of a medieval carnival here.
On this day, people dance under a May tree decorated with multi-colored ribbons and dress up as a Green Jack (Jack-in-the-Green), wrapped in a small gazebo made of fresh greenery. Jack and his flowers dance through the cities, raising money for a later celebration in the evening. In many villages, young people cut down trees and set them up as the May Tree (pillar) in the center of the village. Previously, each such pillar was a gathering place for the rural community for dances and events. There were various contests everywhere, from catching a dirty piglet to whipping butter, so that many villagers had the opportunity to take home a valuable prize. There were even competitions for children, and soon the kids could boast of won ribbons, toys and bells.
On this day, the King and Queen of May are chosen to lead the events on this day. In the Middle Ages, girls washed themselves with dew on this day, believing that this would make them irresistible for the entire next year. Even on this holiday, archery competitions were always held. There were definitely national dances and songs. You can also remember the national hero — Robin Hood. It was on this day that, according to one legend, he was captured by the Sheriff of Nottinghamshire. Robin couldn't resist demonstrating his skill in the shooting competition. This love for the competition allowed the sheriff to capture him.
The spring holiday dates back to ancient rituals dedicated to agriculture and resurrection, as well as the Tree of Peace — May tree connecting heaven and earth. The pagan origin of the May Tree confirms the existence of a similar attribute in ancient Greek and ancient Roman spring rituals dedicated to Attis.
The English reinforced the symbolism of fertility by adding a disc (feminine) to the pole (masculine). The dancers unwind the ribbons so that they rotate around a pole, which symbolizes the creation of the world from the central axis (this is similar to the rites in honor of Attis, which confirms the Roman origin of the holiday).