Maypole Dancing by Class 1
A long time ago people celebrated May Day at the feast of Beltane. The celebrations are to try to bring the earth back into wakefulness. So dancer stamp the ground, horns are blown and fires are lighted. In Tudor times, young girls went out early on May mornings to wash their faces in the dew. They gathered branches of flowering hawthorn to decorate their houses.
A Maypole was set up in every town and village and a May King and May Queen was chosen. The celebrations lasted all day. Morris men still take part in celebrations today.
A Maypole was set up in every town and village and a May King and May Queen was chosen. The celebrations lasted all day. Morris men still take part in celebrations today.
Class 1 children sang this song as they danced around the maypole.
Dancing round the maypole
Dancing in a ring.
Dancing round the maypole
To welcome in the Spring,
Take your ribbon, hold it tight
Dance with feet so neat and light
Make your pattern round and round
Dancing on the fresh green ground
Keep your ribbon in your hand
Sometimes dance and sometimes stand
Weaving neatly out and in
To help the greenwood?s growth begin
Maypole standing tall and lean
Brightly on our village green
We stamp our feet and shout hurray
To waken up the 1st of May.
Dancing round the maypole
Dancing in a ring.
Dancing round the maypole
To welcome in the Spring,
Take your ribbon, hold it tight
Dance with feet so neat and light
Make your pattern round and round
Dancing on the fresh green ground
Keep your ribbon in your hand
Sometimes dance and sometimes stand
Weaving neatly out and in
To help the greenwood?s growth begin
Maypole standing tall and lean
Brightly on our village green
We stamp our feet and shout hurray
To waken up the 1st of May.
