May holiday in Germany (01/05)

Since ancient times, the May holiday (Maifeiertag) has been celebrated cheerfully and noisily in Germany. On this day you can dance, sing, buy useful and funny things at the crafts fair, and listen to music. In a word, have fun and relax.

The celebration is held in honor of the resurgent nature, the blossoming spring. Winter has passed — nature begins a new life.

This holiday is symbolically associated with Easter and Trinity. The blooming greenery and the combination of red and green have a special magic. However, the custom of this holiday dates back to pagan times.

Even the ancient Greeks on this day decorated the sacred pine of Attis (husband of Mother Earth — Cybele) with strips of wool in honor of his resurrection. The pine tree had severed branches. It was solemnly carried with a procession to the temple, and during the procession everyone danced around the tree. In the ancient world, this day turned into the Holiday of Hilaria, and later among the northern peoples — on the day of the May Queen and the Green Man. In the Middle Ages, this custom was adopted by the Germans, which still exists today.

As usual, the May holiday begins the day before, on Walpurgis Night. On the evening of April 30, celebrations «Dance (dances) on May» take place everywhere, which, according to the old tradition, welcome the arrival of the best month to awaken spring. Decorating the house (inside and outside) and garden with young shoots and flowers is considered mandatory. All this ensures success, health, and a rich harvest.

At night, bonfires are lit, around which they dance, dance, and jump over the fire. The May Queen and King are being chosen.

In the morning, the fun continues: this is the obligatory ceremonial carrying of a decorated May tree (Maibaum), which is installed in the center of the village. Dancing takes place around the tree again, glorifying His Majesty the sun according to ancient customs.

The symbol of May Day is the May Tree (Maibaum). It is a tall trunk with a green wreath at the top, decorated with young greenery and flowers. The wreath is decorated with 7 multi-colored ribbons. The May tree is dedicated to agriculture and the resurrection of the image of the Tree of Peace. It represents life, flowering, spring fertility, health.

The May tree symbolizes the world axis around which the Universe revolves. Tree without leaves (pillars) — unchangeable axis or center. Seven ribbons — seven colors of the rainbow, which appears after rain during the sun and brings fruitful weather. Unwinding ribbons from the center — symbol of creating the world from the center.

The — pillar is the symbol of a man, and the — wreath is a woman. Together they personify the renewal of life, sexual union, resurrection and spring.

It was these pagan roots of May Day that outraged Christian priests, and not the struggle of workers for their rights. In worshiping the tree, they saw the opposite of religious processions, especially since Easter fell on these « cheerful» days. However, the holiday is alive, and no less customs, beliefs and superstitions are associated with it than with Christmas.

In some places, boots, shirts and other valuable prizes are hung on the May tree, and whoever gets to the prize is given a gift. Well done check. In some places there is a custom of decorating a tree with green shoots on top and chopped off outer branches, most often — is a young birch tree for your girlfriend. Install it in front of her house as a sign of sympathy (and does not necessarily become a wife or bride after that). Only one tree can be placed in front of one girl's house, so whose tree will remain, boys sometimes find out with their fists, and sometimes with cunning.

A young man who planted a « tree guards it (so that, for example, his opponent does not dig it up), and at the same time looks at the girl’s reaction. She spies through the window on the one who is putting the tree down and can put an empty basket on the threshold for him. This sign will mean that the young person is not reciprocated. And then he can harbor resentment, be offended and take revenge. After which in the morning you can see a pile of manure or dirt, and the worst — is a smeared gate with tar, which since ancient times has been a terrible shame for a young beauty, so she guards the gate all night... They never sleep all night, one tree guards, and the second — gate…

Sometimes residents of one village try to steal a tree from someone else's village, and at the same time, without forgetting, protect their tree from theft or ruin. For a stolen tree there is a ransom of a minimum — barrel of beer.

May trees in cities — are decorated metal pillars, the purpose of which is clear only one day a year, the rest of the time they surprise tourists. But the smaller the settlement, the more interesting the May trees become. For example, with carved figures of people, dancing couples, churches, tools...

In the same Middle Ages, when the holiday of welcoming spring came, the payment of farm labor for the whole year depended on the state of the farm on May 1. It is not surprising that the last night always caused maximum concern, because they might not have paid for the work. This, researchers believe, is what gave rise to the belief that Walpurgis Night is the night of the witch feast. The witches mounted on brooms and flocked to mountain peaks, where they spent time in wild feasts, dancing and copulating with demons and the devil. Therefore, so that the year of work would not be in vain, farm laborers had to burn fires, stay awake and sing songs in order to drive away the unclean one. And in the morning show protected herds and fields, get what you earn and have fun under the May tree…

54