A month ago, around the 1st of May, I received some input regarding this celebration and the month that follows. As promised, I'll share some details about the spring beginning in May.
In rural Romania, the 1st of May is also called Armindeni, the day of the wormwood, or the day of the drunkard. The celebration has pagan roots, it is dedicated to the god of vegetation and the tradition says the people should put a tree or a green branch at the house's door or window.
2000 km to the west, on the Rhine valley, the local people have a similar custom. On the 2nd of May I had the opportunity to go hiking with an authentic german family, driving through the small villages in the area. In each of them you could see big decorated trees, like the one above, or smaller ones at the windows, or hearts with the name of girls embroiled on them. Listening to the stories of the family I could understand better the evolution of this custom.
In the past, each community gathered its young men on the night of 30th of April and together they went into the woods to steal a big tree, a birch tree preferably. After that it was decorated and set in the center of the village. For the whole night a part of them had to guard the tree while the others tried to steal the tree from a nearby community. The losers had to repay the tree by offering a few beer kegs. At a private level the lads stole from the woods some smaller trees, which they decorated and then introduced in the chimney of the house in which their sweetheart lived. In the modern version, one can buy the tree from the forestry district, and the lazy ones buy flower hearts with the initial of the sweetheart's name. Then they hang them at the window.
2000 km to the west, on the Rhine valley, the local people have a similar custom. On the 2nd of May I had the opportunity to go hiking with an authentic german family, driving through the small villages in the area. In each of them you could see big decorated trees, like the one above, or smaller ones at the windows, or hearts with the name of girls embroiled on them. Listening to the stories of the family I could understand better the evolution of this custom.
In the past, each community gathered its young men on the night of 30th of April and together they went into the woods to steal a big tree, a birch tree preferably. After that it was decorated and set in the center of the village. For the whole night a part of them had to guard the tree while the others tried to steal the tree from a nearby community. The losers had to repay the tree by offering a few beer kegs. At a private level the lads stole from the woods some smaller trees, which they decorated and then introduced in the chimney of the house in which their sweetheart lived. In the modern version, one can buy the tree from the forestry district, and the lazy ones buy flower hearts with the initial of the sweetheart's name. Then they hang them at the window.
Credits
In the city it's a bit more complicated, but Cologne had also its share of May trees. After one gets married he is exonerated of this liability. These are beautiful customs and it's a great thing that they try to keep them alive.
R.C.
In the city it's a bit more complicated, but Cologne had also its share of May trees. After one gets married he is exonerated of this liability. These are beautiful customs and it's a great thing that they try to keep them alive.
R.C.
