A sweet little nugget for May…You probably have heard of the MayPole. Here is a little history…
From Wikipedia…
In Germany and Austria the maypole is a tradition going back to the 16th century. It is a decorated tree or tree trunk that is usually erected either on 1 May – in Baden and Swabia – or on the evening before, for example, in East Frisia. In most areas, it is usual to have a ceremony to erect the maypole on the village green. The custom of combining it with a village or town fete, that usually takes place on 30 April 1 May or at Pentecost (Whitsun), is widespread. Up with the help of long poles, today it may sometime also be done using tractors, forklifts or even cranes. In Lower Austria ropes and ladders are used.
In the Rhineland in and around Cologne, there exists a somewhat different maypole tradition. During the night before 1 May, unmarried men erect young birch trees in front of the houses of their sweethearts. These trees, which may reach five metres of height or more, are sold beforehand by local foresters. The men usually decorate them with multicoloured crepe paper and often with a red heart of wood with the name of the girl written on it. During the month of May, many house front gardens have such maypoles.
If the tree is erected on the eve of 1 May, then the event is usually followed by a May dance or Tanz in den Mai. Depending on local custom, the Maibaum may remain in place all year round or may be taken down at the end of May. The trunk may then be stored until the following year.
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Here is a lovely post at Shower of Roses on how to do the Maypole at home using a large outdoor umbrella stand.
Photo Credit: Shower of Roses, posted with permission:
“Even though the symbolism of the maypole has been continuously debated for centuries, and no set conclusion has ever been arrived at, Stasia explained to all the girls that she likes to think that all the individual ribbons represent the many different aspects and doctrines of our Catholic Faith, and when weaved together they create something complete and beautiful!” ~Shower of Roses
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One could also either have a procession afterwards or a Tea Party! All in honor of Our Lady for May! The crepe streamers that you use for the Maypole can be different shades of blue and white!
What a beautiful way to celebrate May in honor of Our Lady!
A midsummer pole at harbour in Bromarv, Finland:
Brentwood, Los Angeles:
Maypole at Llanfyllin, Wales on 1 May 1941:
Maypole in San Diego:
Guest Article:
Mary Beth Bowen is a movie director and entrepreneur. Since 2018, she has distributed four movies through her online platform at Industrious Family Films where she also contributes to the #ReclaimChristianArtBlog. Her 5th film is currently in pre-production.
In this article, Mary Beth asks….
Is The Pervading Cowgirl Culture The Same As A More Authentic Western Look For Ladies?
The phenomenon of Manifest Destiny and the State’s expansion West has created more than an epoch, it has defined a unique culture. The American cowboy is something we only see in what we commonly call the “Wild West”.
This culture still lives on in rural areas of Montana and Wyoming but has universally been hijacked by the movement which I would call the “horse” culture. This style consists of provocative tight jeans usually studded with bling and very expensive boots.
Forgotten are the graceful styles of the second generation of pioneer women who braved the trials of life in order to help pave a new frontier…. Read more here.
Father Lovasik has so many golden nuggets in this piece! If we were to follow the Golden Rule “Do Unto Others As We Would Have Them Do Unto Us,” we would have the basic principles of a happy family life!
“Kind deeds are a source of happiness in the family. Little acts of kindness and little courtesies are the things that, added up at night, constitute a happy day. The best part of your life is spent in the little nameless acts of kindness and love you have performed in your home. Faithful, self-forgetting service – love that spends itself – is the secret of family happiness…”
Take time to smell the roses in this wonderful month of May, the month of Mary! Take a walk with your children, garden together, pick a bouquet, look at the stars…. Another spring is upon us, a time to enjoy God’s creation as it unfolds its beauty all around us!
Our Lady, Cause of our Joy, pray for us!
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The rosary, scapulars, formal prayers and blessings, holy water, incense, altar candles. . . The sacramentals of the Holy Catholic Church express the supreme beauty and goodness of Almighty God. The words and language of the blessings are beautiful; the form and art of statues and pictures inspire the best in us. The sacramentals of themselves do not save souls, but they are the means for securing heavenly help for those who use them properly. A sacramental is anything set apart or blessed by the Church to excite good thoughts and to help devotion, and thus secure grace and take away venial sin or the temporal punishment due to sin. This beautiful compendium of Catholic sacramentals contains more than 60,000 words and over 50 full color illustrations that make the time-tested sacramental traditions of the Church – many of which have been forgotten since Vatican II – readily available to every believer.
“The more things change, the more they stay the same.” Published 80 years ago, this Catholic classic focuses on the Christian family and uses as its foundation the1929 encyclical “On Christian Education of Youth” coupled with the “sense of Faith.” Addressing family topics and issues that remain as timely now as they were when the guide was first published, “The Christian Home” succinctly offers sound priestly reminders and advice in six major areas…
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The may poles area pretty.
The modern “cowgirl” pops up even at church. The”need” to ride did not seem to change country girls as much as the city and Hollywood depiction of the West. The dude ranches and actresses who made movies in the last century in those tight bedecked jeans and regalia did the most damage to the wives and mothers who forged the wild into farm lands. Girls rode horses long before this time, front and side saddle, in skirts. But as with many things lost in time, the techniques for mounting are disappearing, except at historical reproductions, not geared at modesty necessarily, but more to just those who love historical accuracy.
All these years and I never knew the reason and meaning of the Maypole. It seems to mean different things in different parts of the world. I like the idea of the Maypole for the Blessed Mother with flowers on top and many shades and hues of blue best, though. That sounds beautiful. And then have a tea party in her honor. How perfect that would be!