Have you ever seen a May Pole? What is it?

1. 84

   Marcy Goodfleischposted 10 years ago

   Have you ever seen a May Pole?  What is it?
   
   What are May Poles?  Have you ever seen one?  They are used on May Day.

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2. 84

   bravewarriorposted 10 years ago

   We had them in Catholic school. It's a pole with several ropes hanging from it. Kinda like tether ball, but with more ropes and no ball on the end. On May Day we'd wrap the ropes in crepe paper. Each child grabs a rope and basically skips around the pole in a circle.
   
   Here's a link with various photos of May poles:
   
   https://www.google.com/search?q=maypole … d=0CEsQsAQ

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      Sparkleaposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      Oh Shauna what awesome fabulous gorgeous pictures!  I have never seen a maypole but only a few pictures.  These are off the charts beautiful...thank you so much for this pictorial treat!  Blessings Sparklea

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3. 95

   MizBejabbersposted 10 years ago

   I've never seen an authentic one. The custom originated in Europe and somehow didn't make its way to the American South. At one time it was part of the pagan spring equinox ceremony but evolved into a Christian custom, mainly in Northern Europe.

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   1. 84

      bravewarriorposted 10 years agoin reply to this

      That's interesting, MizB. I lived in Philly when we did the May Pole. It was a ritual. I was young when I attended Catholic school. Third thru 8th grade. That was a whole bunch of decades ago!

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4. 80

   Patty Inglish, MSposted 10 years ago

   The maypole and its various celebratory dances have a long history, religious and secular.  They were also put into celebrations of Communism in 1917. read more

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