The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1878-04-27
MaE-DaY Customs.

Though May-pole and Morris dancing
were the most common, there were other
curious customs in different parts of Great
Britain. In one place, the Mayors went
out very early to the woods, and gathering
green bOughs, decorated every door with
one. A house containing a sweetheart
had branch of birch, the door of seold
was disgraced with alder, and slatternly
person had the modification to find
branch of nut-tree at hers, while the
young people who oversight found their
doors closed by a nail over the latch.
In the Scottish Highlands, in the
eighteenth century, the boys had curious
custom. They would 90 to the moors out
side Of the town, make a round table in
the sod, by cutting a trench around it,
deep enough for them to sit down to their
grassy table. On this table they would
kindle fire and cook a custard of eggs
and milk, and knead a cake of oatmeal,
which was toasted by the fire. After
eating the custard, the cake was cut into
as many parts as there were boys; one
piece was made black with coal, and then
all put into a cap. Each boy was in turn
blindfolded and made to take piece, and
the one who selected the black one was to
be sacrificed to Baal, whose favor they
wished to ask for their harvest The
victim in that day had only to leap
through the fire; but there is little doubt
that the whole thing was a survival from
the days when human beings were really
sacrificed
In the island of Lewis, in the west of
Scotland, there prevails custom of send
ing a man very early on May-day to cross
a certain river, believing that if woman
crossed it first the salmon would not come
into the stream for year.
The Dutch May-pole was still different,
being surrounded by trees stuck into
Aower-pots, and ornamented with gay
colored flags, and hoops with garlands and
gilt balls hanging. Another sort had
wooden dolls made to represent the figures
of peasants, nailed against the pole by
their hands and knees, as though climbing
it. There were also figures of birds and
people. In some parts of Germany it was
the firm belief of the common people that
certain ill-disposed beings met on high
mountain on May-day to dance and feast,
with no good intentions to their human
neighbors. Accordingly on the day be-
fore, every family was careful to have a
thorn Of certain kind, which was stuck
into the door as protection.
The Scandinavians whose first of May
is not very balmy, had of old curious
fight between Summer and Winter. Win
ter-or the man representing him-was
dressed in skins, armed with tire-forks,
and threw snow-balls and pieces of ice.
Summer was dressed in green leaves and
summer dress. They had a mock fight
which was called driving away Winter
and welcoming summer" and in the Isle
of Man, where Norwegians had rule for
many years, this custom fingered until
very lately.
But as years went on, these merry
games died out, and few years ago May
day was in London simply the festival Of
chimney sweeps and milk-maids, certainly
a falling off from the times Of King Henry
VIII. The only traces of the old custom
of going a-Maying were the garlands Of
the milk maids and the jack-in-the-green
of the sweeps. The garland $50 called)
was made of silver plate, borrowed for the
day, and fastened upon sort Of pyramid.
Accompanying this drOll garland were the
maids themselves in gay dress, with rib
bons and flowers, and attended by musi-
clans who played for them to dance in
the street. Sometimes COW was dressed
in festive array, with bOquets and ribbons
on her horns, neck and tail, and over her
back net stuck full of flowers. Thus
highly ornamented, the meek creature
was led through the streets.
The sweeps brought out the Jack-in-
the-green, which was q tall cone made of
green bOughs, decorated with flowers,
gay streamers and flag, and carried bya
man inside. Each of these structures was
followed by band of sweeps who assumed
certain characters, the fashion of which
had been handed down from the palmy
times Of May-day.
There were always lord and lady who
wore ridiculous limitations of fashionable
dress, and made ludicrOus attempts to i'm
itate elegant manners. Mad Moll and
her husband were another pair who -four
ished in tawdry, gay-colored rags, and tat
ters, he brandishing a sweeps broom and
she ladle Jim Crow and fancifully
bedizened ballet dancer in white muslin,
often swelled the ranks, and the rest Of the
party rugged out in profusion of gilt
paper, flowers, tinsel and gewgaws, their
faces and legs colored with brick-dust,
made up a comical crowd. But even
these mild remains of the great festival
are almost entirely banished to the rural
districts, and are almost extinct there
81 Nicholas for Nay.