May Day!
The First of May!
This is a huge celebration here in the Bavarian region of Germany. I am not sure how much the rest of Europe celebrates it, but here everything closes and all the towns from a tiny dorf to a big city, puts up a May pole. It is the time for spring and the tradition of the traveling vendor. The may pole has a sign or insignia for each trade the town offers...that way traveling vendors new if their trade was needed or not.
We went to our town of Eschenbach for the May pole this year. The pole is brought in with much fan fare, led by a marching band and pulled by a cart all decorated with ribbons and flowers.
Here are the Gents that brought in the pole.
That hole in the ground is where the pole will go...
This next series of pictures show the art of lifting the pole. I thought this was fascinating. The use a series of different length poles to lift the huge may pole up. Then they just shimmy it up.
There she is.
The May pole for Eschenbach.
1 comment:
Those fun traditions are one of the things I miss most about Europe. America is just full of suburbs and people who think Walmart is the end all and be all of shopping...Oh man!!!! I miss GERMANY!
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