It is the time of year when warmer weather begins and flowers and trees start to blossom' It is a ti

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May Day

• It is the time of year when warmer weather
  begins and flowers and trees start to blossom. It
  is a time of love and romance. It is when people
  celebrate the coming of summer with lots of
  different customs that are expressions of joy and
  hope after a long winter.

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How was May Day celebrated?
There's not a budding boy, or girl, this
day, But is got up, and gone to bring in May.
Herrick, a 17th century English poet
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Decorating houses
May this May Day basket bring a spring to your
stride and a smile to eyes!
May Day began early in the morning. People would
go out before sunrise in order to gather flowers
and greenery to decorate their houses and
villages with in the belief that the vegetation
spirits would bring good fortune.
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May Queen
The highlight of the day was the crowning of the
May Queen, the human replica of Flora. By
tradition she took no part in the games or
dancing, but sat like a queen in a flower-decked
chair to watch her 'subjects'.
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May Day Tricks
In the North of England, the first of May was a
kind of late 'April Fooling' when all sorts of
pranks would take place and 'May Gosling' was the
shout if you managed to trick someone. The
response would be
'May Goslings past and gone. You're the fool for
making me one!'
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May Day Today
In some places, May Day celebrations begin at
sunset on 30 April. They include lots of floral
decorations and processions through towns and
villages.
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Maypole Dancing
On May day, people used to cut down young trees
and stick them in the ground in the village to
mark the arrival of summer. People danced around
them in celebration of the end of winter and the
start of the fine weather that would allow
planting to begin.
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Well-dressing
The custom of well-dressing is popular all over
Derbyshire. The wells are dressed with large
framed panels decorated with elaborate
mosaic-like pictures made of flower petals,
seeds, grasses, leaves, tree bark, berries and
moss. Well-dressings are beautiful and delicate
and take a lot of work to make, and yet they only
last for a few days.
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