Spring and May-Day Carols

Subject: Spring and May-Day Carols and Rituals
From: JB3
Date: 06 Mar 99 - 06:50 AM

Some friends are getting together for a Spring Sing. I have searched the database and found many of the usual suspects, but would be interested in a discussion of which Spring songs "spring" to mind for all you 'Catters. My favorite is the Padstow May Song. And I'll always remember marching into the gym at Berea for the Spring Festival with the other teen-age folk dance groups carrying branches of red-bud and dogwood to stand and sing the May Carol. "I bring you a branch of May..." (Jean Ritchie's version) Then we threw the branches in the middle and danced Sellenger's Round 'round them. Another pleasing ritual was one I learned in northeast Iowa as a young child. The tradition was to make May Baskets (small baskets with fresh flowers in them), to carry them to the houses of friends, hang them on the door then ring the bell and run hide. Is this perhaps a Scandiavian or German custom? I've always wanted to take part in dancing 'round the May Pole. There's something satisfying about rituals and songs that are associated with the seasons. I did a quick forum search to see if there are former threads on this subject, but struck out so far.

June B.

Subject: RE: Spring and May-Day Carols
From: Susan of DT
Date: 06 Mar 99 - 07:54 AM

search for @seasonal and @ritual to find some of these

Subject: RE: Spring and May-Day Carols
From: AllisonA(Animaterra)
Date: 06 Mar 99 - 09:49 AM

Yes! I too love the Padstow May Day carol. One of the best things I've ever done in life was to take a year between high school and college and tour Britain- including a stop on May Day in Padstow. It was crowded, crazy, and so much fun!
Of course, as a morris dancer, May Day is a big deal. The dancers around here meet on a mountaintop at sunrise and dance in the May.
Animaterra