Nicola here, celebrating the month of May. What does May
mean to you? For me it brings back memories of dancing around a stripy maypole
when I was at primary school. More prosaically it is also the month when I have
to get the car taxed and serviced. There are also two public holidays in
the UK during May so that means lovely time spent with family and friends, eating, drinking and making merry. Traditionally there is a lot of that sort of celebrating in May!
The month of May probably takes its name from Maia, the
Roman goddess of growth. In the Northern hemisphere at least it is a month traditionally associated with fertility when nature makes a great
show of its fecundity. In Le Morte D’Arthur, Sir Thomas Malory uses the word
“lusty” four times in five lines to describe the month of May and the effect it
has on human behaviour: “Every lusty heart that is any manner a lover, springeth,
burgeoneth, buddeth and flourisheth in lusty deeds.” You get the idea!
The Irish Gaelic name for the month is Beltane and the
Festival of Beltane, marked by the lighting of
bonfires, takes place today on
May 1st. In Scots Gaelic it is Ceitain, meaning beginning, because
it was the first month of summer in the Celtic calendar. Whilst May can bring a
taste of summer it can also be a chilly month. “Rough winds do shake the
darling buds of May,” as Shakespeare said, and I vividly remember my
grandmother reminding me of the old warning: “Ne’er cast a clout til May be
out,” a piece of advice she followed to the letter with hat, scarf, gloves and
coat on when she went out in May. Here she is in the photo (admittedly this was Norway in May!)
May is traditionally a month associated with merry-making
but one would be foolish to disregard the warnings in the old superstitions.
For example it is unlucky to buy a broom in Cornwall in May for fear of being
accused of witchcraft. Any other time of the year is fine. Also an early dip in
the sea is not recommended: “He who bathes in May will soon be laid in clay.”
We have been warned.
May Day itself is rife with old traditions. This year it
won’t be possible to go out “maying” at dawn to collect branches of hawthorn,
because the weather has been so cold that they aren’t fully in flower yet. This
custom dates from before the 13th century and was part of the
festival at which the May Queen was crowned and villagers danced around the
maypole. Maypoles were originally cut from wood; the one erected to celebrate
the restoration of King Charles II to the throne in 1660 was 134 feet high and stood
for fifty years. These days the sport of maypole stealing is rife in some
villages in the UK to the point that some of them are fixed with burglar alarms as well
as lightning conductors.
As a child I used to attend the famous May Fair in the town
of Knutsford in Cheshire and the thing I
remember best is the “sanding of the
streets.” The story goes that in the 11th century King Canute
emptied sand from his shoes after fording the river at Cnut’s Ford and patterns and pictures in coloured sand are still made on the pavements to bring good fortune to the
town. I absolutely adored these as a child. Sadly I couldn't find any photos of the street sanding but there are some wonderful old pictures of the May Day celebrations.
In the mid-seventeenth century the Puritans uprooted the
maypoles and banned the May celebrations because they encouraged drinking and
licentiousness but they were reinstated after 1660. These days it is more
likely to be health and safety regulations that lead to the festivities being
banned; a few years ago the cheese rolling ceremony at Cooper’s Hill in
Gloucester was cancelled in case people fell down the hill.
The connection of May Day and cheese perhaps comes from the
fact that in medieval England the serfs and peasants were granted the right to
the lord’s milk for a week after the Spring Equinox (April 21st) and
so could make more cheese and butter than usual. Many of the traditional foods
celebrating May Day are milk-based puddings especially cheesecakes and in
Ireland, Hasty Pudding, which I believe is also made in the US.
Do you celebrate May Day and the coming of summer? What will May bring you and what does the month of May look like where you are? I imagine that in the Southern Hemisphere in
particular May looks and feels very different. Time to keep warm in front of
the fire, perhaps. Wherever you are, a very happy May Day to you!
I’m saddened to hear the cheese rolling festival is no more. I really enjoyed watching those idiots trying to break their necks…*da dum*
Living in Michigan, we sometimes don’t have summer until July. Two nights ago, I had a roaring fire in the hearth.
But the only thing we celebrate in May is our anniversary. Thirty-two years married this year with a total of 35 together. Not bad for growing up during the ‘free love’ generation 😉
I’m saddened to hear the cheese rolling festival is no more. I really enjoyed watching those idiots trying to break their necks…*da dum*
Living in Michigan, we sometimes don’t have summer until July. Two nights ago, I had a roaring fire in the hearth.
But the only thing we celebrate in May is our anniversary. Thirty-two years married this year with a total of 35 together. Not bad for growing up during the ‘free love’ generation 😉
I’m saddened to hear the cheese rolling festival is no more. I really enjoyed watching those idiots trying to break their necks…*da dum*
Living in Michigan, we sometimes don’t have summer until July. Two nights ago, I had a roaring fire in the hearth.
But the only thing we celebrate in May is our anniversary. Thirty-two years married this year with a total of 35 together. Not bad for growing up during the ‘free love’ generation 😉
I’m saddened to hear the cheese rolling festival is no more. I really enjoyed watching those idiots trying to break their necks…*da dum*
Living in Michigan, we sometimes don’t have summer until July. Two nights ago, I had a roaring fire in the hearth.
But the only thing we celebrate in May is our anniversary. Thirty-two years married this year with a total of 35 together. Not bad for growing up during the ‘free love’ generation 😉
I’m saddened to hear the cheese rolling festival is no more. I really enjoyed watching those idiots trying to break their necks…*da dum*
Living in Michigan, we sometimes don’t have summer until July. Two nights ago, I had a roaring fire in the hearth.
But the only thing we celebrate in May is our anniversary. Thirty-two years married this year with a total of 35 together. Not bad for growing up during the ‘free love’ generation 😉
Fun reading about the various May Day traditions!
I’m in central Ky. so May means one thing, and one thing only: the Kentucky Derby. People start preparing for it months in advance – tickets and seats to the actual event, clothes, hats (very important!), and parties. Oh yes, and following the horses in the various prep races leading up to the Derby.
On a personal note, I love perfume and every May 1st, the perfume company Guerlain puts out a very limited edition of a Muguet de Bois (lily of the valley) scent from the current year’s lily harvest. I’d love to own some, but alas, this year’s bottle is $575!
Fun reading about the various May Day traditions!
I’m in central Ky. so May means one thing, and one thing only: the Kentucky Derby. People start preparing for it months in advance – tickets and seats to the actual event, clothes, hats (very important!), and parties. Oh yes, and following the horses in the various prep races leading up to the Derby.
On a personal note, I love perfume and every May 1st, the perfume company Guerlain puts out a very limited edition of a Muguet de Bois (lily of the valley) scent from the current year’s lily harvest. I’d love to own some, but alas, this year’s bottle is $575!
Fun reading about the various May Day traditions!
I’m in central Ky. so May means one thing, and one thing only: the Kentucky Derby. People start preparing for it months in advance – tickets and seats to the actual event, clothes, hats (very important!), and parties. Oh yes, and following the horses in the various prep races leading up to the Derby.
On a personal note, I love perfume and every May 1st, the perfume company Guerlain puts out a very limited edition of a Muguet de Bois (lily of the valley) scent from the current year’s lily harvest. I’d love to own some, but alas, this year’s bottle is $575!
Fun reading about the various May Day traditions!
I’m in central Ky. so May means one thing, and one thing only: the Kentucky Derby. People start preparing for it months in advance – tickets and seats to the actual event, clothes, hats (very important!), and parties. Oh yes, and following the horses in the various prep races leading up to the Derby.
On a personal note, I love perfume and every May 1st, the perfume company Guerlain puts out a very limited edition of a Muguet de Bois (lily of the valley) scent from the current year’s lily harvest. I’d love to own some, but alas, this year’s bottle is $575!
Fun reading about the various May Day traditions!
I’m in central Ky. so May means one thing, and one thing only: the Kentucky Derby. People start preparing for it months in advance – tickets and seats to the actual event, clothes, hats (very important!), and parties. Oh yes, and following the horses in the various prep races leading up to the Derby.
On a personal note, I love perfume and every May 1st, the perfume company Guerlain puts out a very limited edition of a Muguet de Bois (lily of the valley) scent from the current year’s lily harvest. I’d love to own some, but alas, this year’s bottle is $575!
Congratulations, Theo! That is lovely news about your anniversary celebrations!
Yes, it’s a shame about the cheese rolling… People really do some extraordinary things in the name of tradition.
Congratulations, Theo! That is lovely news about your anniversary celebrations!
Yes, it’s a shame about the cheese rolling… People really do some extraordinary things in the name of tradition.
Congratulations, Theo! That is lovely news about your anniversary celebrations!
Yes, it’s a shame about the cheese rolling… People really do some extraordinary things in the name of tradition.
Congratulations, Theo! That is lovely news about your anniversary celebrations!
Yes, it’s a shame about the cheese rolling… People really do some extraordinary things in the name of tradition.
Congratulations, Theo! That is lovely news about your anniversary celebrations!
Yes, it’s a shame about the cheese rolling… People really do some extraordinary things in the name of tradition.
Hi Donna! The Kentucky Derby sounds exciting! What a fabulous thing to enjoy this month.
I love the sound of that perfume too but that’s quite a price tag!
Hi Donna! The Kentucky Derby sounds exciting! What a fabulous thing to enjoy this month.
I love the sound of that perfume too but that’s quite a price tag!
Hi Donna! The Kentucky Derby sounds exciting! What a fabulous thing to enjoy this month.
I love the sound of that perfume too but that’s quite a price tag!
Hi Donna! The Kentucky Derby sounds exciting! What a fabulous thing to enjoy this month.
I love the sound of that perfume too but that’s quite a price tag!
Hi Donna! The Kentucky Derby sounds exciting! What a fabulous thing to enjoy this month.
I love the sound of that perfume too but that’s quite a price tag!
I think of Russian tanks rolling through Red Square to celebrate May Day, that being Communism’s rough equivalent of the American Fourth of July. *G* Once when I was a kid, my modest country school put of a maypole in the gym and we were talked through a Maypole dance that braided the streamers down the pole. I assume that one of the teachers thought this was a cool idea and persuaded the school to give it a try. I thought it was fun–early signs of Anglophilia!
I think of Russian tanks rolling through Red Square to celebrate May Day, that being Communism’s rough equivalent of the American Fourth of July. *G* Once when I was a kid, my modest country school put of a maypole in the gym and we were talked through a Maypole dance that braided the streamers down the pole. I assume that one of the teachers thought this was a cool idea and persuaded the school to give it a try. I thought it was fun–early signs of Anglophilia!
I think of Russian tanks rolling through Red Square to celebrate May Day, that being Communism’s rough equivalent of the American Fourth of July. *G* Once when I was a kid, my modest country school put of a maypole in the gym and we were talked through a Maypole dance that braided the streamers down the pole. I assume that one of the teachers thought this was a cool idea and persuaded the school to give it a try. I thought it was fun–early signs of Anglophilia!
I think of Russian tanks rolling through Red Square to celebrate May Day, that being Communism’s rough equivalent of the American Fourth of July. *G* Once when I was a kid, my modest country school put of a maypole in the gym and we were talked through a Maypole dance that braided the streamers down the pole. I assume that one of the teachers thought this was a cool idea and persuaded the school to give it a try. I thought it was fun–early signs of Anglophilia!
I think of Russian tanks rolling through Red Square to celebrate May Day, that being Communism’s rough equivalent of the American Fourth of July. *G* Once when I was a kid, my modest country school put of a maypole in the gym and we were talked through a Maypole dance that braided the streamers down the pole. I assume that one of the teachers thought this was a cool idea and persuaded the school to give it a try. I thought it was fun–early signs of Anglophilia!
An Aussie here. May – Autumn – is my favourite time of year in this part of the world (Victoria). Crisp mornings, clear skies.
My country Victorian primary school danced (still dances) the maypole every year as part of its annual garden party. In the late 70s the garden party was in at the beginning of Aussie spring. These days the garden party is in March — which makes no sense at all!
The street sanding sounds wonderful. We’re planning to be in England around this time next year. Perhaps I should sneak Knutsford May Day onto the itinerary…
An Aussie here. May – Autumn – is my favourite time of year in this part of the world (Victoria). Crisp mornings, clear skies.
My country Victorian primary school danced (still dances) the maypole every year as part of its annual garden party. In the late 70s the garden party was in at the beginning of Aussie spring. These days the garden party is in March — which makes no sense at all!
The street sanding sounds wonderful. We’re planning to be in England around this time next year. Perhaps I should sneak Knutsford May Day onto the itinerary…
An Aussie here. May – Autumn – is my favourite time of year in this part of the world (Victoria). Crisp mornings, clear skies.
My country Victorian primary school danced (still dances) the maypole every year as part of its annual garden party. In the late 70s the garden party was in at the beginning of Aussie spring. These days the garden party is in March — which makes no sense at all!
The street sanding sounds wonderful. We’re planning to be in England around this time next year. Perhaps I should sneak Knutsford May Day onto the itinerary…
An Aussie here. May – Autumn – is my favourite time of year in this part of the world (Victoria). Crisp mornings, clear skies.
My country Victorian primary school danced (still dances) the maypole every year as part of its annual garden party. In the late 70s the garden party was in at the beginning of Aussie spring. These days the garden party is in March — which makes no sense at all!
The street sanding sounds wonderful. We’re planning to be in England around this time next year. Perhaps I should sneak Knutsford May Day onto the itinerary…
An Aussie here. May – Autumn – is my favourite time of year in this part of the world (Victoria). Crisp mornings, clear skies.
My country Victorian primary school danced (still dances) the maypole every year as part of its annual garden party. In the late 70s the garden party was in at the beginning of Aussie spring. These days the garden party is in March — which makes no sense at all!
The street sanding sounds wonderful. We’re planning to be in England around this time next year. Perhaps I should sneak Knutsford May Day onto the itinerary…
LOL, Mary Jo! I’ve been wondering how widespread the maypole tradition was in the US. I’d read some stuff that said it was celebrated there. So pleased you enjoyed it! Definitely an early sign of Anglophilia!
LOL, Mary Jo! I’ve been wondering how widespread the maypole tradition was in the US. I’d read some stuff that said it was celebrated there. So pleased you enjoyed it! Definitely an early sign of Anglophilia!
LOL, Mary Jo! I’ve been wondering how widespread the maypole tradition was in the US. I’d read some stuff that said it was celebrated there. So pleased you enjoyed it! Definitely an early sign of Anglophilia!
LOL, Mary Jo! I’ve been wondering how widespread the maypole tradition was in the US. I’d read some stuff that said it was celebrated there. So pleased you enjoyed it! Definitely an early sign of Anglophilia!
LOL, Mary Jo! I’ve been wondering how widespread the maypole tradition was in the US. I’d read some stuff that said it was celebrated there. So pleased you enjoyed it! Definitely an early sign of Anglophilia!
Shannon, May sounds lovely in your part of the world. It’s good to hear that the maypole tradition is kept in Australia as well.
The Knutsford street sanding is fun and looks very beautiful. You can rely on Word Wenches for some unusual travel tips LOL!
Shannon, May sounds lovely in your part of the world. It’s good to hear that the maypole tradition is kept in Australia as well.
The Knutsford street sanding is fun and looks very beautiful. You can rely on Word Wenches for some unusual travel tips LOL!
Shannon, May sounds lovely in your part of the world. It’s good to hear that the maypole tradition is kept in Australia as well.
The Knutsford street sanding is fun and looks very beautiful. You can rely on Word Wenches for some unusual travel tips LOL!
Shannon, May sounds lovely in your part of the world. It’s good to hear that the maypole tradition is kept in Australia as well.
The Knutsford street sanding is fun and looks very beautiful. You can rely on Word Wenches for some unusual travel tips LOL!
Shannon, May sounds lovely in your part of the world. It’s good to hear that the maypole tradition is kept in Australia as well.
The Knutsford street sanding is fun and looks very beautiful. You can rely on Word Wenches for some unusual travel tips LOL!
I thought I was the only one who heard “cast not a clout…..” My Mother would say that every spring when I wanted to change my winter clothes to something lighter. Dee
I thought I was the only one who heard “cast not a clout…..” My Mother would say that every spring when I wanted to change my winter clothes to something lighter. Dee
I thought I was the only one who heard “cast not a clout…..” My Mother would say that every spring when I wanted to change my winter clothes to something lighter. Dee
I thought I was the only one who heard “cast not a clout…..” My Mother would say that every spring when I wanted to change my winter clothes to something lighter. Dee
I thought I was the only one who heard “cast not a clout…..” My Mother would say that every spring when I wanted to change my winter clothes to something lighter. Dee
Cast not a clout ’til May be out heard that before I knew what a clout was.
May 1st was the day to han small containers of flowers on door knobs.
May was considered an unlucky Month in which to be married even during the Regency. Though many couples married on the same day as Princess Charlotte, others shook their heads and wished the roayl couple had married in April as originally planned or waited ’til June. In that case, of course, they got to say “I told you May was an unlucky month for weddings.” Obviously it isn’t for all couples.
Happy anniversary,Theo.
Cast not a clout ’til May be out heard that before I knew what a clout was.
May 1st was the day to han small containers of flowers on door knobs.
May was considered an unlucky Month in which to be married even during the Regency. Though many couples married on the same day as Princess Charlotte, others shook their heads and wished the roayl couple had married in April as originally planned or waited ’til June. In that case, of course, they got to say “I told you May was an unlucky month for weddings.” Obviously it isn’t for all couples.
Happy anniversary,Theo.
Cast not a clout ’til May be out heard that before I knew what a clout was.
May 1st was the day to han small containers of flowers on door knobs.
May was considered an unlucky Month in which to be married even during the Regency. Though many couples married on the same day as Princess Charlotte, others shook their heads and wished the roayl couple had married in April as originally planned or waited ’til June. In that case, of course, they got to say “I told you May was an unlucky month for weddings.” Obviously it isn’t for all couples.
Happy anniversary,Theo.
Cast not a clout ’til May be out heard that before I knew what a clout was.
May 1st was the day to han small containers of flowers on door knobs.
May was considered an unlucky Month in which to be married even during the Regency. Though many couples married on the same day as Princess Charlotte, others shook their heads and wished the roayl couple had married in April as originally planned or waited ’til June. In that case, of course, they got to say “I told you May was an unlucky month for weddings.” Obviously it isn’t for all couples.
Happy anniversary,Theo.
Cast not a clout ’til May be out heard that before I knew what a clout was.
May 1st was the day to han small containers of flowers on door knobs.
May was considered an unlucky Month in which to be married even during the Regency. Though many couples married on the same day as Princess Charlotte, others shook their heads and wished the roayl couple had married in April as originally planned or waited ’til June. In that case, of course, they got to say “I told you May was an unlucky month for weddings.” Obviously it isn’t for all couples.
Happy anniversary,Theo.
I remember dancing around the Maypole when we lived in England. There was always a fete at the squire’s house with games, food and the Maypole. Right now I am in the middle of the graduation cake rush and the Mother’s Day cupcake rush at work!
I remember dancing around the Maypole when we lived in England. There was always a fete at the squire’s house with games, food and the Maypole. Right now I am in the middle of the graduation cake rush and the Mother’s Day cupcake rush at work!
I remember dancing around the Maypole when we lived in England. There was always a fete at the squire’s house with games, food and the Maypole. Right now I am in the middle of the graduation cake rush and the Mother’s Day cupcake rush at work!
I remember dancing around the Maypole when we lived in England. There was always a fete at the squire’s house with games, food and the Maypole. Right now I am in the middle of the graduation cake rush and the Mother’s Day cupcake rush at work!
I remember dancing around the Maypole when we lived in England. There was always a fete at the squire’s house with games, food and the Maypole. Right now I am in the middle of the graduation cake rush and the Mother’s Day cupcake rush at work!
I love the idea of Mother’s Day Cupcake Rush, Louisa! The May Day fetes are a lot of fun. There will be plenty of them this weekend and for once we have good weather for them!
I love the idea of Mother’s Day Cupcake Rush, Louisa! The May Day fetes are a lot of fun. There will be plenty of them this weekend and for once we have good weather for them!
I love the idea of Mother’s Day Cupcake Rush, Louisa! The May Day fetes are a lot of fun. There will be plenty of them this weekend and for once we have good weather for them!
I love the idea of Mother’s Day Cupcake Rush, Louisa! The May Day fetes are a lot of fun. There will be plenty of them this weekend and for once we have good weather for them!
I love the idea of Mother’s Day Cupcake Rush, Louisa! The May Day fetes are a lot of fun. There will be plenty of them this weekend and for once we have good weather for them!
I remember creeping out of the house before dawn on May day to wash my face in the dew !Not at all sure why maybe an ancient cure for acne?Then we had to peel an apple in one go and throw the peel over the left shoulder and the shape it made would be the first letter of your true loves name I think that was May Day not hallowe’en!I never was much good at Maypole dancing probably still half asleep from the foray out onto the lawn !
I remember creeping out of the house before dawn on May day to wash my face in the dew !Not at all sure why maybe an ancient cure for acne?Then we had to peel an apple in one go and throw the peel over the left shoulder and the shape it made would be the first letter of your true loves name I think that was May Day not hallowe’en!I never was much good at Maypole dancing probably still half asleep from the foray out onto the lawn !
I remember creeping out of the house before dawn on May day to wash my face in the dew !Not at all sure why maybe an ancient cure for acne?Then we had to peel an apple in one go and throw the peel over the left shoulder and the shape it made would be the first letter of your true loves name I think that was May Day not hallowe’en!I never was much good at Maypole dancing probably still half asleep from the foray out onto the lawn !
I remember creeping out of the house before dawn on May day to wash my face in the dew !Not at all sure why maybe an ancient cure for acne?Then we had to peel an apple in one go and throw the peel over the left shoulder and the shape it made would be the first letter of your true loves name I think that was May Day not hallowe’en!I never was much good at Maypole dancing probably still half asleep from the foray out onto the lawn !
I remember creeping out of the house before dawn on May day to wash my face in the dew !Not at all sure why maybe an ancient cure for acne?Then we had to peel an apple in one go and throw the peel over the left shoulder and the shape it made would be the first letter of your true loves name I think that was May Day not hallowe’en!I never was much good at Maypole dancing probably still half asleep from the foray out onto the lawn !
I harvest sweet woodruff leaves (and later in the month will harvest the white starry flowers) to step in a Rhenish to make May Wine. Other than picking spring bulbs on May Day–hyacinth, snake’s head fritillary, daffodils–to fill flower vases in my rooms, that’s my primary May celebration.
I harvest sweet woodruff leaves (and later in the month will harvest the white starry flowers) to step in a Rhenish to make May Wine. Other than picking spring bulbs on May Day–hyacinth, snake’s head fritillary, daffodils–to fill flower vases in my rooms, that’s my primary May celebration.
I harvest sweet woodruff leaves (and later in the month will harvest the white starry flowers) to step in a Rhenish to make May Wine. Other than picking spring bulbs on May Day–hyacinth, snake’s head fritillary, daffodils–to fill flower vases in my rooms, that’s my primary May celebration.
I harvest sweet woodruff leaves (and later in the month will harvest the white starry flowers) to step in a Rhenish to make May Wine. Other than picking spring bulbs on May Day–hyacinth, snake’s head fritillary, daffodils–to fill flower vases in my rooms, that’s my primary May celebration.
I harvest sweet woodruff leaves (and later in the month will harvest the white starry flowers) to step in a Rhenish to make May Wine. Other than picking spring bulbs on May Day–hyacinth, snake’s head fritillary, daffodils–to fill flower vases in my rooms, that’s my primary May celebration.
Fun post Nicola. Its still autumn here in Tasmania and very windy and getting cold. I remember once dancing around a maypole when I was at school, in the (whisper) 1950s. But as far as I remember it was September which had nothing at all to do with May. It was fun however. Probably one of our teachers thought it would be a good idea, while completely missing the point.
Fun post Nicola. Its still autumn here in Tasmania and very windy and getting cold. I remember once dancing around a maypole when I was at school, in the (whisper) 1950s. But as far as I remember it was September which had nothing at all to do with May. It was fun however. Probably one of our teachers thought it would be a good idea, while completely missing the point.
Fun post Nicola. Its still autumn here in Tasmania and very windy and getting cold. I remember once dancing around a maypole when I was at school, in the (whisper) 1950s. But as far as I remember it was September which had nothing at all to do with May. It was fun however. Probably one of our teachers thought it would be a good idea, while completely missing the point.
Fun post Nicola. Its still autumn here in Tasmania and very windy and getting cold. I remember once dancing around a maypole when I was at school, in the (whisper) 1950s. But as far as I remember it was September which had nothing at all to do with May. It was fun however. Probably one of our teachers thought it would be a good idea, while completely missing the point.
Fun post Nicola. Its still autumn here in Tasmania and very windy and getting cold. I remember once dancing around a maypole when I was at school, in the (whisper) 1950s. But as far as I remember it was September which had nothing at all to do with May. It was fun however. Probably one of our teachers thought it would be a good idea, while completely missing the point.
LOL, Jo! I’ve read about washing your face in the dew – may even have done it sometimes! I think it’s meant to give you a lovely fresh complexion forever!
Margaret, the May wine sounds absolutely delicious. I love that idea. And the spring flowers are so beautiful I think they bring a splash of fresh brightness to any room.
LOL, Jo! I’ve read about washing your face in the dew – may even have done it sometimes! I think it’s meant to give you a lovely fresh complexion forever!
Margaret, the May wine sounds absolutely delicious. I love that idea. And the spring flowers are so beautiful I think they bring a splash of fresh brightness to any room.
LOL, Jo! I’ve read about washing your face in the dew – may even have done it sometimes! I think it’s meant to give you a lovely fresh complexion forever!
Margaret, the May wine sounds absolutely delicious. I love that idea. And the spring flowers are so beautiful I think they bring a splash of fresh brightness to any room.
LOL, Jo! I’ve read about washing your face in the dew – may even have done it sometimes! I think it’s meant to give you a lovely fresh complexion forever!
Margaret, the May wine sounds absolutely delicious. I love that idea. And the spring flowers are so beautiful I think they bring a splash of fresh brightness to any room.
LOL, Jo! I’ve read about washing your face in the dew – may even have done it sometimes! I think it’s meant to give you a lovely fresh complexion forever!
Margaret, the May wine sounds absolutely delicious. I love that idea. And the spring flowers are so beautiful I think they bring a splash of fresh brightness to any room.
Good evening, everyone! 🙂
I must say, May was a beautiful month for my parents to wed, and they will be ringing in their *29th!* anniversary in three short weeks! 🙂 I knew of Beltane but not of the origin,… I am discovering quite a heap about the Irish ever since I learnt which country my family’s fabled Civil War Captain originally hailed from… the Emerald Isle!
Personally, I long to live in the North, where May and June are more like a second-Autumn or early-Winter; I would glady and will one day merrily exchange 95-100+ degrees for blistering wind, sea fog, grey overcast skies, hintings and murmurings of snow, and the most ideal walking weather around!! Long live the snowshoe! 🙂 Cheers!
I saw the cheese roll via Robbie Coltrane’s Incredible Britian,…I am forgetting the city it took place in, but that was quite the event! He showcased a lot of folksy community driven events in his documentary that I throroughly enjoyed watching! A bit like how I appreciated Two Fat Ladies for introducing me to wild game, nuns with a firecely positive attitude, and English kitchens!! I was over the moon for those kitchens, to the brink I sometimes was distracted from the ‘food’! Laughs.
Ooh, dear, we were talking about May!? Sighs. Know that I ate up this article and had a happy spirit about me reflecting on the timelessness of May, the universal signals of seasons, and how each of us are told the same superstitions and forewarnings, no matter where we live! 🙂
Why though do they steal the Maypoles? Is that for an idea to turn a profit or just drive townes batty?
Good evening, everyone! 🙂
I must say, May was a beautiful month for my parents to wed, and they will be ringing in their *29th!* anniversary in three short weeks! 🙂 I knew of Beltane but not of the origin,… I am discovering quite a heap about the Irish ever since I learnt which country my family’s fabled Civil War Captain originally hailed from… the Emerald Isle!
Personally, I long to live in the North, where May and June are more like a second-Autumn or early-Winter; I would glady and will one day merrily exchange 95-100+ degrees for blistering wind, sea fog, grey overcast skies, hintings and murmurings of snow, and the most ideal walking weather around!! Long live the snowshoe! 🙂 Cheers!
I saw the cheese roll via Robbie Coltrane’s Incredible Britian,…I am forgetting the city it took place in, but that was quite the event! He showcased a lot of folksy community driven events in his documentary that I throroughly enjoyed watching! A bit like how I appreciated Two Fat Ladies for introducing me to wild game, nuns with a firecely positive attitude, and English kitchens!! I was over the moon for those kitchens, to the brink I sometimes was distracted from the ‘food’! Laughs.
Ooh, dear, we were talking about May!? Sighs. Know that I ate up this article and had a happy spirit about me reflecting on the timelessness of May, the universal signals of seasons, and how each of us are told the same superstitions and forewarnings, no matter where we live! 🙂
Why though do they steal the Maypoles? Is that for an idea to turn a profit or just drive townes batty?
Good evening, everyone! 🙂
I must say, May was a beautiful month for my parents to wed, and they will be ringing in their *29th!* anniversary in three short weeks! 🙂 I knew of Beltane but not of the origin,… I am discovering quite a heap about the Irish ever since I learnt which country my family’s fabled Civil War Captain originally hailed from… the Emerald Isle!
Personally, I long to live in the North, where May and June are more like a second-Autumn or early-Winter; I would glady and will one day merrily exchange 95-100+ degrees for blistering wind, sea fog, grey overcast skies, hintings and murmurings of snow, and the most ideal walking weather around!! Long live the snowshoe! 🙂 Cheers!
I saw the cheese roll via Robbie Coltrane’s Incredible Britian,…I am forgetting the city it took place in, but that was quite the event! He showcased a lot of folksy community driven events in his documentary that I throroughly enjoyed watching! A bit like how I appreciated Two Fat Ladies for introducing me to wild game, nuns with a firecely positive attitude, and English kitchens!! I was over the moon for those kitchens, to the brink I sometimes was distracted from the ‘food’! Laughs.
Ooh, dear, we were talking about May!? Sighs. Know that I ate up this article and had a happy spirit about me reflecting on the timelessness of May, the universal signals of seasons, and how each of us are told the same superstitions and forewarnings, no matter where we live! 🙂
Why though do they steal the Maypoles? Is that for an idea to turn a profit or just drive townes batty?
Good evening, everyone! 🙂
I must say, May was a beautiful month for my parents to wed, and they will be ringing in their *29th!* anniversary in three short weeks! 🙂 I knew of Beltane but not of the origin,… I am discovering quite a heap about the Irish ever since I learnt which country my family’s fabled Civil War Captain originally hailed from… the Emerald Isle!
Personally, I long to live in the North, where May and June are more like a second-Autumn or early-Winter; I would glady and will one day merrily exchange 95-100+ degrees for blistering wind, sea fog, grey overcast skies, hintings and murmurings of snow, and the most ideal walking weather around!! Long live the snowshoe! 🙂 Cheers!
I saw the cheese roll via Robbie Coltrane’s Incredible Britian,…I am forgetting the city it took place in, but that was quite the event! He showcased a lot of folksy community driven events in his documentary that I throroughly enjoyed watching! A bit like how I appreciated Two Fat Ladies for introducing me to wild game, nuns with a firecely positive attitude, and English kitchens!! I was over the moon for those kitchens, to the brink I sometimes was distracted from the ‘food’! Laughs.
Ooh, dear, we were talking about May!? Sighs. Know that I ate up this article and had a happy spirit about me reflecting on the timelessness of May, the universal signals of seasons, and how each of us are told the same superstitions and forewarnings, no matter where we live! 🙂
Why though do they steal the Maypoles? Is that for an idea to turn a profit or just drive townes batty?
Good evening, everyone! 🙂
I must say, May was a beautiful month for my parents to wed, and they will be ringing in their *29th!* anniversary in three short weeks! 🙂 I knew of Beltane but not of the origin,… I am discovering quite a heap about the Irish ever since I learnt which country my family’s fabled Civil War Captain originally hailed from… the Emerald Isle!
Personally, I long to live in the North, where May and June are more like a second-Autumn or early-Winter; I would glady and will one day merrily exchange 95-100+ degrees for blistering wind, sea fog, grey overcast skies, hintings and murmurings of snow, and the most ideal walking weather around!! Long live the snowshoe! 🙂 Cheers!
I saw the cheese roll via Robbie Coltrane’s Incredible Britian,…I am forgetting the city it took place in, but that was quite the event! He showcased a lot of folksy community driven events in his documentary that I throroughly enjoyed watching! A bit like how I appreciated Two Fat Ladies for introducing me to wild game, nuns with a firecely positive attitude, and English kitchens!! I was over the moon for those kitchens, to the brink I sometimes was distracted from the ‘food’! Laughs.
Ooh, dear, we were talking about May!? Sighs. Know that I ate up this article and had a happy spirit about me reflecting on the timelessness of May, the universal signals of seasons, and how each of us are told the same superstitions and forewarnings, no matter where we live! 🙂
Why though do they steal the Maypoles? Is that for an idea to turn a profit or just drive townes batty?
UPDATE: It’s *39* not *29* – bit of a typo there! 🙁
UPDATE: It’s *39* not *29* – bit of a typo there! 🙁
UPDATE: It’s *39* not *29* – bit of a typo there! 🙁
UPDATE: It’s *39* not *29* – bit of a typo there! 🙁
UPDATE: It’s *39* not *29* – bit of a typo there! 🙁
May traditions: First, my mother’s birthday on May 5. (She’ll be 92 tomorrow.) Second, Mother’s Day usually within a week.
Memories of May crownings at Catholic school, and a hymn we sang with the words “See sweet Mary round thy altar/Bloom the fairest buds of May/Oh may we thy sons and daughters/Grow by grace as pure as they.” I can’t find the hymn now. Some of those old ones have disappeared because the words aren’t approved by the Committee for Mediocre Music.
May traditions: First, my mother’s birthday on May 5. (She’ll be 92 tomorrow.) Second, Mother’s Day usually within a week.
Memories of May crownings at Catholic school, and a hymn we sang with the words “See sweet Mary round thy altar/Bloom the fairest buds of May/Oh may we thy sons and daughters/Grow by grace as pure as they.” I can’t find the hymn now. Some of those old ones have disappeared because the words aren’t approved by the Committee for Mediocre Music.
May traditions: First, my mother’s birthday on May 5. (She’ll be 92 tomorrow.) Second, Mother’s Day usually within a week.
Memories of May crownings at Catholic school, and a hymn we sang with the words “See sweet Mary round thy altar/Bloom the fairest buds of May/Oh may we thy sons and daughters/Grow by grace as pure as they.” I can’t find the hymn now. Some of those old ones have disappeared because the words aren’t approved by the Committee for Mediocre Music.
May traditions: First, my mother’s birthday on May 5. (She’ll be 92 tomorrow.) Second, Mother’s Day usually within a week.
Memories of May crownings at Catholic school, and a hymn we sang with the words “See sweet Mary round thy altar/Bloom the fairest buds of May/Oh may we thy sons and daughters/Grow by grace as pure as they.” I can’t find the hymn now. Some of those old ones have disappeared because the words aren’t approved by the Committee for Mediocre Music.
May traditions: First, my mother’s birthday on May 5. (She’ll be 92 tomorrow.) Second, Mother’s Day usually within a week.
Memories of May crownings at Catholic school, and a hymn we sang with the words “See sweet Mary round thy altar/Bloom the fairest buds of May/Oh may we thy sons and daughters/Grow by grace as pure as they.” I can’t find the hymn now. Some of those old ones have disappeared because the words aren’t approved by the Committee for Mediocre Music.
Hi Jorie! Thanks for your lovely comments (and congratulations to your parents on their anniversary! I am so pleased you enjoyed the blog piece. I think the maypole stealing is a bit of inter-village rivalry!
Hi Jorie! Thanks for your lovely comments (and congratulations to your parents on their anniversary! I am so pleased you enjoyed the blog piece. I think the maypole stealing is a bit of inter-village rivalry!
Hi Jorie! Thanks for your lovely comments (and congratulations to your parents on their anniversary! I am so pleased you enjoyed the blog piece. I think the maypole stealing is a bit of inter-village rivalry!
Hi Jorie! Thanks for your lovely comments (and congratulations to your parents on their anniversary! I am so pleased you enjoyed the blog piece. I think the maypole stealing is a bit of inter-village rivalry!
Hi Jorie! Thanks for your lovely comments (and congratulations to your parents on their anniversary! I am so pleased you enjoyed the blog piece. I think the maypole stealing is a bit of inter-village rivalry!
Hi Artemisia. I hadn’t heard the words of that hymn for years! It took me straight back to my school days too. It’s one of those hymns that definitely isn’t in fashion now but I thought it was rather beautiful at the time.
Hi Artemisia. I hadn’t heard the words of that hymn for years! It took me straight back to my school days too. It’s one of those hymns that definitely isn’t in fashion now but I thought it was rather beautiful at the time.
Hi Artemisia. I hadn’t heard the words of that hymn for years! It took me straight back to my school days too. It’s one of those hymns that definitely isn’t in fashion now but I thought it was rather beautiful at the time.
Hi Artemisia. I hadn’t heard the words of that hymn for years! It took me straight back to my school days too. It’s one of those hymns that definitely isn’t in fashion now but I thought it was rather beautiful at the time.
Hi Artemisia. I hadn’t heard the words of that hymn for years! It took me straight back to my school days too. It’s one of those hymns that definitely isn’t in fashion now but I thought it was rather beautiful at the time.
Ms. Cornick,
Thank you for your sweet words for my parents, I shall pass your sentiments along to them! 🙂 And, I should have thought of that! I noticed that a lot of villages and townes in England tend to get their dander kicked up, and that makes logically sense to me that its rivalry!
Thanks for the follow-up and I smiled when I read you enjoy my comments! I love dropping by and I appreciate all the work you all do to keep the Word Wenches one of my favourite blogs to read!
Ms. Cornick,
Thank you for your sweet words for my parents, I shall pass your sentiments along to them! 🙂 And, I should have thought of that! I noticed that a lot of villages and townes in England tend to get their dander kicked up, and that makes logically sense to me that its rivalry!
Thanks for the follow-up and I smiled when I read you enjoy my comments! I love dropping by and I appreciate all the work you all do to keep the Word Wenches one of my favourite blogs to read!
Ms. Cornick,
Thank you for your sweet words for my parents, I shall pass your sentiments along to them! 🙂 And, I should have thought of that! I noticed that a lot of villages and townes in England tend to get their dander kicked up, and that makes logically sense to me that its rivalry!
Thanks for the follow-up and I smiled when I read you enjoy my comments! I love dropping by and I appreciate all the work you all do to keep the Word Wenches one of my favourite blogs to read!
Ms. Cornick,
Thank you for your sweet words for my parents, I shall pass your sentiments along to them! 🙂 And, I should have thought of that! I noticed that a lot of villages and townes in England tend to get their dander kicked up, and that makes logically sense to me that its rivalry!
Thanks for the follow-up and I smiled when I read you enjoy my comments! I love dropping by and I appreciate all the work you all do to keep the Word Wenches one of my favourite blogs to read!
Ms. Cornick,
Thank you for your sweet words for my parents, I shall pass your sentiments along to them! 🙂 And, I should have thought of that! I noticed that a lot of villages and townes in England tend to get their dander kicked up, and that makes logically sense to me that its rivalry!
Thanks for the follow-up and I smiled when I read you enjoy my comments! I love dropping by and I appreciate all the work you all do to keep the Word Wenches one of my favourite blogs to read!
I’m so pleased you enjoy the Word Wench blog so much, Jorie. We have so much fun here!
I’m so pleased you enjoy the Word Wench blog so much, Jorie. We have so much fun here!
I’m so pleased you enjoy the Word Wench blog so much, Jorie. We have so much fun here!
I’m so pleased you enjoy the Word Wench blog so much, Jorie. We have so much fun here!
I’m so pleased you enjoy the Word Wench blog so much, Jorie. We have so much fun here!