The Greenville times. [volume] (Greenville, Miss.) 1868-1917, 1907-04-13
TO CELEBRATE
OLD CUSTOM
SCHOOL GIRLS TO GIVE MAY
POLE DANCE
On First Day of May-Festivities
Will be Held at the Ball Park
Origin and Brief History of This
Ancient Custom.

"
the base ball park will be scene OF
gay festivity The girls of the high
school, assisted by those of the Cen
trail, Court and Startling schools, will
give the old English May Pole dan
ces. Miss Emma Ody Pohl, director
of physical training of the Greenville
schools, has charge of the affair, and
is making every effort to make the
occasion one long TO be remembered
not only by school children, but by
the parents and older people as well.
Miss Sloane Ryals, a senior in the
high school, has been chosen May
Queen. She will be attended by Miss
Marguerite Crittenden, Maid of Hon
or, Miss Ann Thomas and Miss Lou
ise Crittenden, Maids. Clara Alexan-
der Weiss, Helen Nance, Isabelle
Scruggs, Irene Bass and Minnie Ro-
senstock, flower girls.
Tickets will be on sale at Steger-
Holmes and Nelms & Blum Co.
History of the May Pole Dance
These May pole dances have their
origin among the Greeks who cele-
brated the feat of Flora Goodies of
Flowers) in the month of May, but
no definite idea of them can be gath
cred until they appear again in Eng
land There we find it the custom
for children to arise a little after mid
night on the morning of May Ist and,
accompanied by music and the blow
ing of horns, to cut great boughs of
hawthorn and sycamore, and return
home at sunrise to adorn the doors
and windows with the LEAKAGE and
crowns of flowers Often the young
boys would plant the branches be-
fore the houses of their sweethearts.
It was also customary for children to
place baskets of flowers on the door
posts of their friends homes early
May morning.
1t is interesting to note the super
stitious beliefs. which these observ-
ers held. The peasantry believed
firmly that by celebrating May Day
with flowers, dancing and music, they
were insuring for themselves a good
harvest
On one of the isles of Western
Scotland, the natives in the village
of Barvas retain an ancient supersti- |
tious custom of sending a man very
early on the first day of May to cross
Barvas river to prevent female from
crossing first, for that. they said, hin-
dered the salmon from coming into
the river the year round.
In Suffolk there was an old custom !
that if servant could bring in, on |
May Day morning, branch of haw-
thorn in full bloom, he was entitled |
to a dish of cream for breakfast.
Many customs are not yet forgot
ten in London and its vicinity. In |
the Morning Post, May 2, 1891, it was
mentioned yesterday being the Ist
of May, according to annual and sup
erstitious custom, number OF per-
sons went into the fields and bathed
their faces with the dew on the grass
under the belief that it would render
them beautiful"
In all of the great parishes young
maid was chosen from among the
daughters of the most wealthy farm
ers, for the Queen of the May. She
was dressed in the gayest and best
manner possible and was attended BY
maids of honor and flower girls.
The dance, however, was the most
essential part of the festivities All
the dancers were in festival costume,
in the garb of leaves and flowers.
Often the dancing was accompanied
by singing. These songs were usual
" of French origin; the chief motive
of which was joy and delight of the
rcnouveau in Spring.
All the dances took place IN the
afternoon A tall pole, called May Z
pole was placed in a convenient part
Of the village or city. There it stood,
as it were, consecrated to the God
dess of Flowers. Around this all
the dancing took place. There were
many kinds of dances, among them,
the Milk Maids Dance. These milk
maids would dress themselves in holi-
law attire on May morning and dance
around the May pole to the strains
,f the bag-pipe and other strange i'm I
,trumenss. They played at blind Z
nan's-buff, whirled in the Sailor {
Horn-pipe, and played their par. /
,ery merrily. II
Il was written of Princess Eliza
,efh that one time when she was
loosely guarded, she heard from her
rindow the light hearted milk maid
,;nging and sheSwished herself milk f
maid, So that she, too. might be free I
nd merry r
AZ lie close Of the day when al Z
h< fesfivifics were over, twenty or I
orty oxen, each having ! nosegay of !