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May Day - Maypole Dancing
Woodlands Junior School is in the south-east corner of England
Introduction to May Day | Maypole Dancing | Morris Dancing May Day in the Past | May Day Today | Well Dressing A traditional May Day dance is 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 the tree poles in celebration of the end of winter and the start of the fine weather that would allow planting to begin. copyright Maypoles were once common all over England and were kept from one year to the next. Schools would practice skipping round the pole for weeks before the final show on the village greens. The end results would be either a beautiful plaited pattern of ribbons round the pole or a tangled cat's cradle, depending on how much rehearsing had been done. copyright of protectbritain.com Maypoles are still a part of some village life and on May Day the villagers dance around it. Interesting Fact The tallest maypole is said to have been erected in London on the Strand in 1661; it stood over 143 feet high. It was felled in 1717, when it was used by Isaac Newton to support Huygen's new reflecting telescope. Another traditional dance you will often see from May is Morris Dancing. Click on the right arrow below to find out more about May Day Introduction to May Day | Maypole Dancing | Morris Dancing May Day in the Past | May Day Today | Well Dressing Back to folklore and facts about the month of May
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Woodlands Junior School, Hunt Road Tonbridge Kent TN10 4BB UK