| May 1 |
May day
The old Pagan fertility festival of Beltane, the day used to be celebrated in nearly every village green with may pole dancing. The custom has rapidly died out and many of the old village greens have been reclaimed. The festival was also celebrated with hilltop fires.
Minehead Obby Oss
The festival has ancient origins, the actual Oss is a wooden frame with a painted head at its centre, over which a cloth is draped. The Oss meets the rising sun early on May day.
Padstow Hobby Horse, Cornwall
The festival starts at midnight in the early hours of Mayday. The actual Hobby Horse is a hoop covered with black material with an African mask, and a horses head with snapping jaws. A man stands inside the hoop and the procession parades around the town. The festival has ancient origins.
Garland Dressing, Charlton-on-Otmoor, Oxfordshire
A wooden cross is bedecked with Yew and Box leaves. |
| 4 May |
Frustrating the Fairies.
Irish day for confusing the fairies so that they could not create any havoc. |
| May 7 |
| Hocktide, English |
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| May
8 |
Feast of St Michael
Helston Furry Dance
Local people take part in a procession around the town. It may stem from Celtic times. |
| May
9 |
| One of the days of dread in the Roman Calendar |
| May
13 |
Abbotsbury Garland Day, Dorset
A celebration of the old May Day from the Julian calendar. Flowers are woven into frames and carried about the town by children. |
| 23
May |
| Beating the bounds and Rogation Day |
| 26
May |
| Well Dressing, Tissington, Derbyshire |
| 29
May |
Arbur Day, Aston-on-clun, Shropshire
A Poplar tree in the town is bedecked with flags, they are left on the tree all year round.
Castleton Garland, Derbyshire
A Garland King and Lady ride around the parish boundary on white horses. A garland, which is a large cone of flowers, is placed over the king topped with a posy of flowers called the queen. After the tour the garland is placed on the church tower. The ceremony has ancient origins. |
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May