Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-04-29
May Day.


comes down from the Druids who inherited
| 1t from India. The Druds lit enormous
| fires on their cairns In honor of the god
Apollo. The Irish retain this custom and
| drive the cattle between the fires. Fathers
| take their children In their arms and leap
through the flames, We are glad this fool
ish custom does not extend 10 America. Of
| you do not know the "Druids" look the
word up In the encyclopaedia
In the early days of England the young
people were wont to rise a little after mid
| night and walk to a neighboring wood. to
the accompaniment OF music and horn
blowing. They would break down branches
| from the trees, adorn themselves with nose
| gays and crowns of flowers and return
| with the dawn to decorate their homes
| The May-pole custom was universally OBJ
| served in England until the reign OF Henry
| VIII When the reformers laid their iron
| hand on England. they suppressed innocent
as Wen as vicious amusements, and the
| May-pole incurred their especial disfavor
| later king Charles II, had the old Gus
tom restored and every village today ceie-
| old enthusiasm
| In America. It must be confessed May
day has been more universally observed as
moving day" than in any other manner
| Folding beds. frying pans and step ladders
replace the wreaths, garlands and May-pole
| Of song and story. New York still cher
| ishes relic of the pretty old custom. Every
saturday morning during the month of
May troops of children, gay with ribbons
ana holding to the streamers of the gaily
| decked May-pole, march through the streets
70 Cenlrai Park where the day is spent In
games and merrymakng and feastlng upon
| erous teacher.
1t Is said that only remains OF the pretty
| May custom now. Enthusiastically decked
OUT IN taWdry f1nery, enriched with strips
OF git paper. they caper the chimney
| sweepers dance" to the music of the fiddle
The center of attraction is the "Jack-tntba
| Green, large piece OF wickerwork, cover
| ed with leaves and flowers borne by a man
concealed within. One Is puzzled as to
now and when these sooty gentlemen in
trude themselves into the gay and festive
| ceremonies of May-time According RI
some historians 1t is due to the discovery
! OF the long-lost son of Lady MontasII
! allons Lhe fraternity Of the sweeps. This
hopefui BOY ran away from school and APP
prentced himself to a fisherman at Black
| friars and was lost sight of for a year He
was then sent back to Westminster: but
again ran away In another flight he
changed clothes with chimney sweep and
| FOR some time followed that occupation.
After a long. anxious search, he was dis
covered by his friends and restored IN his
parents on May l. To commemorate the
restoration his relative. Mrs. Elizabeth
Montagu, who died in 1900 for many wears
ieasteo the chimney sweeps of London on
May with roast beef and plum pudding
To this entertainment Is due the general
sweeps holiday of May-day.
In the last century the milkmaids' dance
formed a pretty adjunct to the May-day
shows The garland" was composed OF
| brilliantly polished milk pals and other ar
tfcles of the dairy-silver cups. tankards
and salvers. These were built up In pyra-
mid form, and decorated with flowers rib
bons, leaves. etc. The garland" was car
ried from door to door.
Temple-Sowerby is noted for an amusing
custom on May-day The people meet on
q
art of lying" number of candidates
are selected for the competition. the prizes
consisting of a grtndstone and number of
whetStones. The people act as judges The
one telling the most marvellous and i'm
probable tale wins the prize. A story cur
rent in the neighborhOod runs as follows:
A bishop passed through the place on this
particular day. Noticing the crowd he in
quired the cause. His question brought
forth the facts and a severe lecture from
the bishop on the sinfulness of the proceed
ings resulted. AT the conclusion OF his SER
mon. he said, For my part I never told a
lie IN my life" This was reported to the
judges. upon which the grindstone was
awarded to his lordship as most deserving
of 1t, and II actually was thrown into his
carriage.
Scotland in former times had a quaint
May-day custom. The herdsmen of every
village then held their "Bel-tein." They cut
a square trench in the ground. leaving the
turf in the middle. On this they make a
fire of wood, on which they dress a large
Cauule VI Gigs, oatmeal ana mix,
and besides the ingredients of the caudle,
plenty Of beer and whisky. Each of the
company must contribute something. The
rites begin with splitting some of the caudle
on the ground: on >that every one takes a
cake of oatmeal upon which raised
nine square knobs. each dedicated to some
particular being, the supposed preservers Of
their focks and herds. Each person turns
his back to the fire, breaks off a knob and
flinging It over his shoulder says. This
give to thee. preserve-thou my horses and
so on. When the ceremony Is over they
dine on the caudle, and after the feast Is
finished, what is left is hid by two persons.
On the next Sunday they reassemble and
finish the relics of their first entertainment