142-400: A maypole is a tall wooden pole erected as a part of various European folk festivals, around which a maypole dance often takes place. The festivals may occur on 1 May or Pentecost ( Whitsun ), although in some countries it is instead erected at Midsummer (20–26 June). In some cases, the maypole is a permanent feature that is only utilized during the festival, although in other cases it
284-584: A "United Kingdom Day". Similarly, attempts were made by the John Major government in 1993 to abolish the May Day holiday and replace it with Trafalgar Day. Unlike the other Bank Holidays and common law holidays, the first Monday in May is taken off from (state) schools by itself, and not as part of a half-term or end of term holiday. This is because it has no Christian significance and does not otherwise fit into
426-607: A (heartshaped) sign bearing the name of the adored person. Normally the person who "is meant" (and neighbours etc.) is/are left to just guess/speculate about the identity of the involved.) These individual may trees can be spotted in other regions of the country, too, and even in urban environments where people sometimes have to get quite creative in finding a spot and way to fix them somewhere (as opposed to easier, traditional places with garden soil to just "plant" (stick) it in or fence posts to bind it to). In Hungary these were called Májusfa. They were danced around, usually decorated with
568-451: A (often drunken) courting team of similar boys. If two boys liked the same girl, after one team had erected the maypole, the other would secretly take it away and dig his own in its place. On the last Sunday of May májusfa-kitáncolás, when they tore the pole down, while dancing one last time. The máj-kerék was placed on it that day, a wagon wheel on the end of a high pole, decorated with ribbons, wine bottles and linen scarves. Its placement
710-573: A May Bush was reported as being suppressed by law and the magistrates in Dublin in the 18th century. The tradition of lighting bonfires has survived in parts of the country, and other traditions continue to be revived as local cultural events. May Day has been celebrated in Scotland for centuries. It was previously closely associated with the Beltane festival. Reference to this earlier celebration
852-476: A May Bush: typically a thorn bush or branch decorated with flowers, ribbons, bright shells and rushlights. Holy wells were also visited, while Bealtaine dew was thought to bring beauty and maintain youthfulness. For almost two centuries, the Dublin suburb of Finglas was well known for its "May Games" and its maypole "was one of the last to survive in Dublin", according to historian Michael J. Tutty. Throughout
994-647: A Maypole", one of the last recorded examples of the rural festival of the first of May in Scotland , having been put down by Act of Parliament immediately after the Reformation in 1560. The tallest maypoles in Britain may be found in the villages of Nun Monkton , North Yorkshire ( 27 metres or 88 feet 5 + 1 ⁄ 4 inches), Barwick-in-Elmet , West Yorkshire (26 metres or 86 feet), Welford-on-Avon , Warwickshire (20 metres or 65 feet) and Paganhill, Gloucestershire (18 metres or 60 feet; although
1136-411: A brawl broke out between the two cities, which saw the former victorious. To commemorate this event, Brussels was granted, almost 100 years later, the eternal right by John II, Duke of Brabant , to erect a Meyboom , but only if they managed to do this every year on 9 August before 5 p.m. Following a "theft" of the tree in 1974, Leuven has also claimed ownership of the only official Meyboom. Ever since,
1278-435: A bundle of wheat ears was carried into a shrine, though it is not clear if this devotion was made to Flora or Ceres . Floralia concluded with competitive events and spectacles , and a sacrifice to Flora. Maiouma was celebrated at least as early as the 2nd century AD, when records show expenses for the month-long festival were appropriated by Emperor Commodus . According to the 6th-century chronicles of John Malalas ,
1420-407: A combination of 19th-century theatrical fashion and visionary individuals such as John Ruskin in the 19th century. However, the maypole remained an anti-religious symbol to some theologians, as shown by " The Two Babylons ", an anti-Catholic conspiracist pamphlet that first appeared in 1853. As revived, the dance is performed by pairs of boys and girls (or men and women) who stand alternately around
1562-470: A cross and two rings is most common nowadays. A perhaps more original incarnation is the one still in use in the Swedish landscape of Småland , where the pole carries a large horizontally suspended ring around it, hanging from ropes attached at the top of the pole. This perhaps more original form of course strongly reinforces the procreation symbolism. The cross-arm may be a latter-day attempt to Christianize
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#17327795592101704-461: A farmer's barn days or weeks before being erected on 1 May. The young men (nowadays probably women, too) from the villages try to steal the Maibaum from each other (out of the storage places) which is why the men/ people of the village take turns in watching over it. If a village manages to steal a Maibaum , then the village the Maibaum has been stolen from has to invite the whole village of
1846-534: A festival celebrating Dionysus and Aphrodite held every three years during the month of May. The Floralia opened with theatrical performances. In the Floralia , Ovid says that hares and goats were released as part of the festivities. Persius writes that crowds were pelted with vetches , beans , and lupins . A ritual called the Florifertum was performed on either 27 April or 3 May, during which
1988-476: A full bottle of wine, with hímestojás , flowers and ribbons. May Poles and similar decorated branches, collectively called Zöld ágak were believed to have magical properties. All of them were often put up as an ornament to bring good luck and protect against witches' spells, since it was generally believed by the Hungarians that they can be protected against with different types of weed and herbs. The base
2130-618: A high wind in 1672 when it was moved to Wanstead in Essex and served as a mount for the telescope of Sir Isaac Newton . In the countryside, may dances and maypoles appeared sporadically even during the Interregnum, but the practice was revived substantially after the Restoration. By the 19th century, the maypole had been subsumed into the symbology of " Merry England ". The addition of intertwining ribbons seems to have been influenced by
2272-765: A major event in the town calendar. A traditional sweeps festival is performed over the May bank holiday in Rochester, Kent , where the Jack in the Green is woken at dawn on 1 May by Morris dancers. At 7:15 p.m. on 1 May each year, the Kettle Bridge Clogs morris dancing side dance across Barming Bridge (otherwise known as the Kettle Bridge), which spans the River Medway near Maidstone , to mark
2414-595: A number of historical buildings. Among the oldest buildings in the town centre are the St. Quentin's Cathedral (11th to 18th centuries) and the Refuge of Herkenrode Abbey , the city's oldest civic building (1542). The Grote Markt (Grand Market) and the nearby streets are lined with restaurants brasseries, cafes and taverns. The Demerstraat and the Koning Albertstraat are the most important shopping streets, while
2556-463: A number of servants, together with the aid of an agent, broke free from their indentured service to create their own colony, setting up a maypole in the center of the settlement, and behaving in such a way as to receive the scorn and disapproval of the nearby colonies, as well as an officer of the king, bearing patent for the state of Massachusetts . Bradford writes: They also set up a May-pole, drinking and dancing about it many days together, inviting
2698-410: A poplar on which they put-up a red flag and the tree is erected in village squares or at crossroads. After we've gone to get the pole in thirty or forty people, we placed it like a six-month child. We walked in procession with this tree and not even a single leaf had to touch the ground. We had to raise it without making it touch the ground, holding it in our arms like a child. For us it was the saint of
2840-535: A recorded practice in many parts of Europe throughout the Medieval and Early Modern periods, although it became less popular in the 18th and 19th centuries. Today, the tradition is still observed in some parts of Europe and among European communities in the Americas. English historian Ronald Hutton concurs with Swedish scholar Carl Wilhelm von Sydow who stated that maypoles were erected "simply" as "signs that
2982-573: A song of Spring. In Oxford , it is a centuries-old tradition for May Morning revellers to gather below the Great Tower of Magdalen College at 6 am to listen to the college choir sing traditional madrigals as a conclusion to the previous night's celebrations. Since the 1980s some people then jump off Magdalen Bridge into the River Cherwell . For some years, the bridge has been closed on 1 May to prevent people from jumping, as
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#17327795592103124-441: A tall May Pole was erected, but every girl had to have at least one branch. Usually each suitor would put one in the girl's garden. Often they would carve it out and write the boy's name on it. The cutting and wood delivery had to be done in secret, under the cover of night, so that the lady in question would not suspect anything. When the family saw the boys, if the girl liked the suitor, they invited them in to dinner and proudly left
3266-572: A taller, post-WWI 'Memorial Pole' of 29.5m or 97 ft was previously erected in 1919, making it one of the tallest on record). Holywood in County Down , Northern Ireland has a maypole situated at the crossroads of Main Street and Shore Road/Church Road in the center of the town. It is the only Maypole in Ireland. Although the origin is uncertain, it is thought that the original maypole dates from
3408-417: A village green (twmpath chwarae). Many places across Great Britain and the world have begun to syncretize May Day and Beltane customs, hosting events that feature elements of both. On May Day, Bulgarians celebrate Irminden (or Yeremiya, Eremiya, Irima, Zamski den). The holiday is associated with snakes and lizards and rituals are made in order to protect people from them. The name of the holiday comes from
3550-433: A young giant. Ronald Hutton has stated, however, that "there is no historical basis for his claim and no sign that the people who used maypoles thought that they were phallic" and that "they were not carved to appear so." The anthropologist Mircea Eliade theorizes that the maypoles were simply a part of the general rejoicing at the return of summer, and the growth of new vegetation. In this way, they bore similarities with
3692-487: Is a short story by Nathaniel Hawthorne . It first appeared in The Token and Atlantic Souvenir in 1832. The story revolves around a young couple feeling the influence of nature who get betrothed in the presence of a Maypole and face Puritan ire. Hawthorne based his story on events in colonial New England history, borrowing from a story of Thomas Mortan whose settlement opposed the rigid cultural and religious standards of
3834-414: Is a sign of dislike. Women usually place roses or rice in the form of a heart at the house of their beloved one. It is common to stick the heart to a window or place it in front of the doormat. In leap years , it is the responsibility of the women to place the maypole. All the action is usually done secretly and it is an individual's choice whether to give a hint of their identity or stay anonymous. May Day
3976-671: 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, especially in Baden-Württemberg , Bavaria, and Austria , 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, which usually takes place on 1 May or April 30 at Pentecost ( Whitsun ),
4118-574: Is absolutely no evidence that the maypole was regarded as a reflection of it." It is also known that, in Norse paganism , cosmological views held that the universe was a world tree , known as Yggdrasil . Some observers have proposed phallic symbolism, an idea which was expressed by Thomas Hobbes , who erroneously believed that the poles dated back to the Roman worship of the god Priapus . This notion has been supported by various figures since, including
4260-415: Is also one of the city's largest employers, generating a turnover of €744 million. The city also provides an ecosystem for start-ups, scale-ups, and major companies through its Corda Campus , surrounded by government organizations and research institutions. Currently, 5,000 people work in 250 companies over a land area of 9 acres, formerly being occupied by Philips . By 2030, an investment of €150 million at
4402-422: Is an emerging Durham tradition, with patchy observance since 2001. Kingsbury Episcopi , Somerset, has seen its yearly May Day Festival celebrations on the May bank holiday Monday burgeon in popularity in the recent years. Since it was reinstated 21 years ago it has grown in size, and on 5 May 2014 thousands of revellers were attracted from all over the south-west to enjoy the festivities, with BBC Somerset covering
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4544-416: Is considered a Ysbrydnos or spirit night when people would gather hawthorn ( draenen wen ) and flowers to decorate their houses, celebrating new growth and fertility. While on May Day celebrations would include summer dancing ( dawnsio haf ) and May carols ( carolau mai or carolau haf ) othertimes referred to as "singing under the wall" ( canu dan y pared), May Day was also a time for officially opening
4686-611: Is decorated with springtime greenery, and every year thousands of onlookers attend. Before the 19th century, distinctive May Day celebrations were widespread throughout West Cornwall, and are being revived in St Ives and Penzance . A similar 'Obby 'Oss festival is also held in the Somerset town of Minehead , dating back to at least the 19th century. Kingsand , Cawsand and Millbrook in Cornwall celebrate Flower Boat Ritual on
4828-523: Is erected specifically for the purpose before being taken down again. Primarily found within the nations of Germanic Europe and the neighboring areas which they have influenced, its origins remain unknown. It has often been speculated that the maypole originally had some importance in the Germanic paganism of Iron Age and early Medieval cultures and that the tradition survived Christianisation , albeit losing any original meaning that it had. It has been
4970-586: Is famous for its gin, locally known as Jenever . Even though the spirit is produced across the entire country of Belgium, Hasselt Jenever became famous when the city escaped the 1601 ban on the sale and production of the beverage imposed by Albert VII, Archduke of Austria and Isabella Clara Eugenia , both Archduke and Archduchess of the Habsburg Netherlands , because it belonged to the Prince-Bishopric of Liège . Dutch troops stationed in
5112-581: Is found in poem 'Peblis to the Play', contained in the Maitland Manuscripts of 15th- and 16th-century Scots poetry: At Beltane, quhen ilk bodie bownis To Peblis to the Play, To heir the singin and the soundis; The solace, suth to say, Be firth and forrest furth they found Thay graythis tham full gay; God wait that wald they do that stound, For it was their feast day the day they celebrate May Day, Thay said, [...] The poem describes
5254-1077: Is located between the Campine region, north of the Demer river, and the Hesbaye region, to the south. Both the Demer river and the Albert Canal run through the municipality. In terms of economic regions, Hasselt is within the transnational Meuse-Rhine Euroregion , connecting neighbouring regions in Wallonia , the Netherlands and Germany . [REDACTED] County of Loon 1165–1366 [REDACTED] Prince-Bishopric of Liège 1366–1789 [REDACTED] Republic of Liège 1789–1791 [REDACTED] Prince-Bishopric of Liège 1791–1795 [REDACTED] French Republic 1795–1804 [REDACTED] French Empire 1804–1815 [REDACTED] Kingdom of
5396-472: Is mostly popular with small children. The central part played by young children in the celebration emphasizes the procreation aspect of the celebration. Yet another pointer in this direction is the custom that young maidens expect to dream of their future mate if they pick seven different flowers and place them under their pillow when they go to bed on this day only. In the United Kingdom , the maypole
5538-416: Is often recited during these days) and Petřín . This is usually done under a cherry, an apple or a birch tree. Traditional English May Day rites and celebrations include crowning a May Queen and celebrations involving a maypole , around which dancers often circle with ribbons. Morris dancing is also often performed as part of May Day celebrations. The earliest records of maypole celebrations date to
5680-609: Is the capital and largest city of the province of Limburg in the Flemish Region of Belgium . As of 1 August 2023, Hasselt had a total population of 80,846. The old town of Hasselt is surrounded by a number of satellite hamlets including Kiewit , Runkst, Banneuxwijk, Godsheide and Rapertingen. Further away are several sub-municipalities which were once within independent municipalities, including Kermt , Kuringen , Sint-Lambrechts-Herk , Spalbeek , Stevoort , Stokrooie , and Wimmertingen . Geographically, Hasselt
5822-588: Is to prepare "podnici" (special clay pots made for baking bread). This day is especially observed by pregnant women so that their offspring do not catch "yeremiya"—an illness due to evil powers. In the Czech Republic , May Day is traditionally considered a holiday of love and May as a month of love. The celebrations of spring are held on 30 April when a maypole ("májka" in Czech) is erected—a tradition possibly connected to Beltane, since bonfires are also lit on
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5964-542: Is widespread. This tradition is especially strong in the villages of the Bavarian Alps where the raising of the traditional maypole on 1 May in the village square is a cause for much celebration. Some poles are painted in the Bavarian colors of white and blue; most are decorated with emblems depicting local crafts and industry. In Bavaria, the Maibaum is procured, prepared and then stored in some building, like
6106-659: The European route E313 ( Antwerp - Liège ) and the European route E314 ( Brussels - Aachen ). The old town of Hasselt is enclosed by 2 ring roads . The outer ring road serves to keep traffic out of the city center and main residential areas. The inner ring road, the Green Boulevard , serves to keep traffic out of the commercial center, which is almost entirely a pedestrian area. There are also important traffic arteries to Tongeren , Sint-Truiden , Genk , and Diest . The city lies within approximately an hour's drive from
6248-654: The Exposition Universelle . A proposal by Raymond Lavigne , called for international demonstrations on the 1890 anniversary of the Chicago protests. After the institution of the International Workers' Day the maypole rite in the southern part of the March became a socialist ritual. At the top of the tree ( poplar ) appeared the red flag . In the second half of the 20th century, the rite of
6390-587: The Judge Stag or the First Stag. During the demolition, young people dressed merely in green branches collected a "ransom", all around the village. In addition to the love May Poles, there were also community May Poles in front of churches and pubs, around which they had fun until the evening. Maypole traditions can be found in some parts of Italy , such as in Veneto , Friuli , Umbria , and Marche . In
6532-586: The Kingdom of Great Britain . In Cambridgeshire villages, young girls went May Dolling (going around the villages with dressed dolls and collecting pennies). This dressing of dolls and singing was said to have persisted into the 1960s in Swaffham Prior Sing a song of May-time. Sing a song of Spring. Flowers are in their beauty. Birds are on the wing. May time, play time. God has given us May time. Thank Him for His gifts of love. Sing
6674-511: The Main Guard . The provisions became the property of those who, having seized them, were able to carry them off. In Denmark , the maypole tradition is almost extinct but is still observed on the islands of Avernakø and Strynø south of Funen and in a few villages in southern Himmerland in eastern Jutland . The Maypole is generally referred to as a majtræ , meaning "May tree". In Sweden and Swedish -speaking parts of Finland ,
6816-579: The Maiouma was a "nocturnal dramatic festival, held every three years and known as Orgies, that is, the Mysteries of Dionysus and Aphrodite " and that it was "known as the Maioumas because it is celebrated in the month of May-Artemisios". During this time, enough money was set aside by the government for torches, lights, and other expenses to cover a 30-day festival of "all-night revels." The Maiouma
6958-567: The Octavia Hill Birthplace House, Wisbech has a flagpole which converts into a Maypole each year, used by local schools and other groups. Records from the early 1730s indicate that May Day was the date the new Mayor of Norwich was elected "for the ensuring year". The "Day of Swearing" occurred the following month - June - which saw the Mayor Elect receive his chains of office . The early May bank holiday on
7100-521: The 14th century, and by the 15th century the maypole tradition was well established in southern Britain. The tradition persists into the 21st century across the UK. The village of Ansty in Wiltshire has a maypole that has stood in the middle of a road junction in the village since before 1881; it continues in use every May Day, having been replaced by a less tall pole in the 1990s. Centenary Green part of
7242-546: The 18th century, when a Dutch ship ran aground offshore. The latest maypole was damaged and removed after a storm in February 2021. The remains were removed by Ards and North Down Borough Council and a replacement pole was ordered. In Canada, maypole dances are sometimes done as part of Victoria Day celebrations which occur in May. In New Westminster, British Columbia, dancing around the maypole and May Day celebrations have been held for 149 years. While not celebrated among
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#17327795592107384-669: The 19th century with most distilleries being located in Hasselt. However, increase in excise duty, competition from cheap industrial alcohol, the confiscation of copper stills by the Germans during World War I, and the Vandervelde law against alcohol abuse caused most distilleries in Hasselt to disappear or to be taken over by larger competitors. By the early 21st century, Hasselt only housed two distilleries (known as 'stokerij' in Dutch):
7526-637: The 1st of May The same ritual is known from Lamon , a village in the Dolomites in Veneto, which likely predates the Napoleonic period. Here, a number of quarters and hamlets erect a maypole in the form of a larch whose branches and bark are almost completely removed. Only the top branches are left. A red flag is normally attached, although Italian flags or flags of other countries (Colombia, Bolivia for example) or artists (Bob Marley) are also attested. Around
7668-510: The Belgian province of Limburg. In ecclesiastical terms, Belgian Limburg became an independent entity from the Diocese of Liège only in 1967, and Hasselt became the seat of the new Diocese of Hasselt . In 1977, Hasselt merged with several surrounding municipalities attaching the current sub-municipalities of Kermt , Kuringen , Sint-Lambrechts-Herk , Stevoort and Wimmertingen . Since
7810-661: The Blessed Virgin Mary . It has also been associated with the ancient Roman festival Floralia . International Workers' Day observed on 1 May is also called "May Day", but the two have different histories. The earliest known May celebrations appeared with the Floralia , festival of Flora , the Roman goddess of flowers, held from 27 April–3 May during the Roman Republic era, and the Maiouma or Maiuma ,
7952-541: The Hasselt speculaas -, which was soon exported to Brussels and to Liège, among others. Until the Second World War , Hasselt speculaas was only baked around Saint Nicholas Day , since then it has been sold throughout the entire year. Since the early 2000s, Hasselt has been known within Flanders for its distinctive and sometimes outspoken branding as a city. In 2002, former mayor, Steve Stevaert , introduced
8094-632: The Indian women, for their consorts, dancing and frisking together, (like so many fairies , or furies rather,) and worse practices. As if they had a new revived & celebrated the feasts of the Roman Goddess Flora , or the beastly practices of the madd Bacchinalians . Morton likewise (to shew his poetry) composed sundry rimes & verses, some tending to lasciviousness, and others to the detraction & scandal of some persons, which he affixed to this idle or idol May-pole. They changed also
8236-594: The Kapelstraat and Hoogstraat house upscale shops and brands. Another major religious building besides the cathedral is the Virga Jesse Basilica . The churches must cede domination of the skyline of the city to the modern twin towers of the TT-wijk (TT Quarter), however. In 2003, the renovation of this complex, now including a shopping mall and a hotel, gave the centre a new boost. In 2004, Hasselt
8378-546: The May Day bank holiday. A model of the ship The Black Prince is covered in flowers and is taken in a procession from the Quay at Millbrook to the beach at Cawsand where it is cast adrift. The houses in the villages are decorated with flowers and people traditionally wear red and white clothes. There are further celebrations in Cawsand Square with Morris dancing and May pole dancing. Hasselt Hasselt ( Dutch pronunciation: [ˈɦɑsəlt] , Limburgish: [ˈɦɑsəlt] , French: [asɛlt] )
8520-453: The May Day garlands which were also a common festival practice in Britain and Ireland. In Belgium, the Maypole is called Meiboom or Meyboom in Dutch. Hasselt erects its Meiboom on 30 April. In Brussels and Leuven , the Meyboom is traditionally erected on 9 August before 5 p.m. The planting of the Meyboom in Brussels is reminiscent of a long-standing (folkloric) feud with Leuven, dating back to 1213. In that year,
8662-460: The May Day/Beltane customs which persisted in the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries in parts of Scotland, which he noted were beginning to die out. In the nineteenth century, folklorist Alexander Carmichael (1832–1912), collected the song Am Beannachadh Bealltain ( The Beltane Blessing ) in his Carmina Gadelica , which he heard from a crofter in South Uist . Scottish May Day/Beltane celebrations have been somewhat revived since
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#17327795592108804-443: The May"), weaving floral garlands , crowning a May Queen (sometimes with a male companion ), and setting up a Maypole , May Tree or May Bush, around which people dance and sing. Bonfires are also a major part of the festival in some regions. Regional varieties and related traditions include Walpurgis Night in central and northern Europe, the Gaelic festival Beltane , the Welsh festival Calan Mai , and May devotions to
8946-403: The National Jenever Museum and Stokerij Wissels, which was later bought by the larger Stokerij Fryns, based in Ghent , which resumed Jenever production on the former Wissels grounds under the Fryns name. Today, three Jenever distilleries operate in Hasselt: the National Jenever Museum, Stokerij Fryns, and Stokerij Vanderlinden, founded in 2017. Every year during the third weekend of October,
9088-430: The Netherlands 1815–1830 [REDACTED] Kingdom of Belgium 1830–present Hasselt was founded in approximately the 7th century on the Helbeek, a tributary of the Demer river. During the Middle Ages it became one of the free cities of the county of Loon (which had borders approximately the same as the current province of Limburg). It was first named in a document in 1165. In 1232 Arnold IV, Count of Loon gave
9230-401: The Plymouth colony Puritans. May Day May Day is a European festival of ancient origins marking the beginning of summer, usually celebrated on 1 May , around halfway between the Northern Hemisphere's Spring equinox and June solstice . Festivities may also be held the night before, known as May Eve . Traditions often include gathering wildflowers and green branches ("bringing in
9372-476: The age of 19 travel for free. Hasselt railway station , run by NMBS , is located near the city centre, outside the innermost ring road. InterCity trains link the city to major Belgian centres such as Brussels , Antwerp , Liège , and Leuven , as well as to Brussels Airport . In February 2007, a plan was launched for the construction of an international light rail connection between Hasselt and Maastricht ( Hasselt – Maastricht tramway ). Agreements between
9514-483: The airports of Brussels , Liège , Antwerp , Charleroi , Cologne/Bonn , and Düsseldorf . Within a three-hour radius, the major hubs of Paris and Frankfurt can be reached. Small private aircraft can land in Hasselt itself, on the airfield of Kiewit . Hasselt introduced a zero-fare policy for all public buses in 1997. By 2006, the usage of public transport had increased by 800–900% compared to pre-zero-fare numbers. In 2013, bus subsidies were reduced, resulting in
9656-458: The base of the pole, each holding the end of a ribbon. They weave in and around each other, boys going one way and girls going the other and the ribbons are woven together around the pole until they meet at the base. There are also more complex dances for set numbers of (practiced) dancers (the May Queen dancing troupes) involving complicated weaves and unweaves, but they are not well known today. However, such dances are performed every Mayday around
9798-423: The beginning of the 21st century, many urban renewal projects have taken place in the city, including the construction of the Two Towers (TT) neighborhood. From 1 January 2025, the neighboring village of Kortessem will merge into Hasselt, becoming a new sub-municipality. The name Hasselt is derived from the Germanic word Hasaluth which refers to the common hazel . The centre is mostly car-free and contains
9940-417: The capital of the French Department of the Lower Meuse . This comprised not only the area of the modern province of Limburg in Belgium, but also what is now the province of Limburg in the Netherlands. After the defeat of Napoleon in 1815, all of what is now Belgium became part of the United Kingdom of the Netherlands . During this time, it was King William I who re-named the Lower Meuse department after
10082-435: The catchphrase "Hasselt Capital of Taste" (Dutch: Hasselt Hoofdstad van de Smaak ) , creating a well-known brand image across the Flemish region to promote its touristic attractions, stores and local industries. After 15 years the city decided to rebrand to "Hasselt has it" (Dutch: Hasselt heeft het ). However, the city's old branding remained in use by its citizens and beyond. Five years later, due to this brand recognition,
10224-605: The celebration in the town of Peebles in the Scottish Borders , which continues to stage a parade and pageant each year, including the annual ‘Common Riding’, which takes place in many towns throughout the Borders. As well as the crowning of a Beltane Queen each year, it is custom to sing ‘The Beltane Song’. John Jamieson , in his Etymological Dictionary of the Scottish Language (1808) describes some of
10366-536: The celebrations. These include traditional maypole dancing and morris dancing , as well as contemporary music acts. Whitstable , Kent, hosts a good example of more traditional May Day festivities, where the Jack in the Green festival was revived in 1976 and continues to lead an annual procession of morris dancers through the town on the May bank holiday. A separate revival occurred in Hastings in 1983 and has become
10508-508: The city and in the neighbouring town of Diepenbeek and, as of 2023, has more than 7,000 students and 1,700 academic, administrative, and technical staff. The university houses 7 faculties, 4 research institutes, 3 research centres, and 3 doctoral schools. In the Times Higher Education ranking of the world's best universities under 50, Hasselt University is ranked 35th out of 605. Hasselt is home to Limburg United , one of
10650-444: The city decided to reverse to the original catchphrase in spoken communication, and use "Hasselt Smaakmaker Spraakmaker" in written communication and visuals. In 2023, a dating platform had selected Hasselt as the Belgian city with the most eligible singles. The city developed a tourism campaign based on this claim, showing diverse couples throughout the city within promotional videos and posters, while also strategically highlighting
10792-480: The city from 1675 to 1681 ensured that Hasselt Jenever, more than any other Belgian jenever, carried aromas of herbs and berries. At the end of the 19th century, dire living conditions among the working population and cheap Jenever prepared from sugar beet molasses led to the annual consumption of 9.5 litres of Jenever (50% vol) per inhabitant of Belgium. Jenever production was the most important industry in Limburg in
10934-603: The city the same freedoms as those enjoyed in Liège. Hasselt became the biggest city in present-day Limburg thanks to its favourable setting, and the proximity of the count's castle at Herkenrode in Kuringen . In 1366 the county of Loon came under the direct rule of the Prince-Bishopric of Liège and remained so until the annexation by France in 1794. During the First French Empire , the city of Maastricht became
11076-509: The claims of the dating platform. The campaign saw the use of a new catchphrase "Hasselt tastes like more" (Dutch: Hasselt smaakt naar meer ), building further on their earlier catchphrase "Hasselt Capital of Taste". With 3,000 employees, the Jessa Hospital in Hasselt is the city's biggest employer with two health care campuses and one logistical campus. Cegeka Group , a European provider of IT solutions, services, and consultancy
11218-452: The community. On the last three days of April, all houses were fumigated with juniper and rue incense. At sunset on May Day, the people held a ceremony they called "burning out the witches". The church bells were rung and people made as much noise as possible by shouting, banging pots and pans, ringing bells and cracking whips. Men carried lighted bundles of herbs fasted on poles, while women carried censers . Then would run seven times round
11360-689: The custom. The maypole itself survived until 1547 when a Puritan mob seized and destroyed it as a "pagan idol". When the Restoration occurred in 1660, common people in London , in particular, put up maypoles "at every crossway", according to John Aubrey . The largest was the Maypole in the Strand , near the current St Mary-le-Strand church. The maypole there was the tallest by far, reaching over 130 feet (40 m), and it stood until being blown over by
11502-526: The eighteenth century, the Finglas maypole was at the centre of a week of festivity which included "the playing of games, various competitions, and, according to one account the crowning of 'Queen of the May'." In a letter written by Major Sirr on 2 May 1803 (shortly after the turbulent 1798 Rebellion ), he writes: Public celebrations of Bealtaine fell out of popularity by the 20th century and many old traditions are no longer widely observed. The tradition of
11644-626: The entire Belgian province of Limburg. The main church is St. Quentin's Cathedral . Hasselt also consists of about 30 parishes. Next to the Catholic Church, Hasselt houses both a Moroccan and Turkish mosque as both communities are well-established in the city and the surrounding municipalities. Hasselt brands itself as the "Capital of Taste", owing to its local distilleries of Jenever , the Hasselt Jenever Festival, Hasselt speculaas , and chocolate production. Hasselt
11786-600: The fires for luck. Since the 18th century, many Roman Catholics have observed May – and May Day – with various May devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary . In works of art, school skits, and so forth, Mary's head will often be adorned with flowers in a May crowning . 1 May is also one of two feast days of the Catholic patron saint of workers St Joseph the Worker , a carpenter, husband to Mother Mary , and foster father of Jesus . Replacing another feast to St. Joseph, this date
11928-582: The first Monday in May was created in 1978; May Day itself – 1 May – is not a public holiday in England (unless it falls on a Monday). In February 2011, the UK Parliament was reported to be considering scrapping the bank holiday associated with May Day, replacing it with a bank holiday in October, possibly coinciding with Trafalgar Day (celebrated on 21 October), to create
12070-456: The flames or embers. All household fires would be doused and then re-lit from the Bealtaine bonfire. These gatherings would be accompanied by a feast, and some of the food and drink would be offered to the aos sí , the 'spirits' or 'fairies'. Doors, windows, byres and cattle would be decorated with yellow May flowers, perhaps because they evoked fire. In parts of Ireland, people would make
12212-516: The following year. From the Rhineland in and around Cologne originates a somewhat different, private, maytree tradition. During the night before 1 May, traditionally unmarried men, but nowadays persons of any gender, erect cut young birch trees, complete with their spring green foliage, often decorated with multicoloured satin (sometimes crepe paper) streamers, in front of the house of their sweetheart. (Sometimes, but rarely, additionally with
12354-619: The general public in the United States today, a Maypole dance nearly identical to that celebrated in the United Kingdom is an important part of May Day celebrations in local schools and communities. Often the Maypole dance will be accompanied by other dances as part of a presentation to the public. The earliest use of the Maypole in America occurred in 1628, when William Bradford, governor of New Plymouth , wrote of an incident where
12496-569: The happy season of warmth and comfort had returned." Their shape allowed for garlands to be hung from them and were first seen, at least in the British Isles, between AD 1350 and 1400 within the context of medieval Christian European culture . In 1588, at Holy Trinity Church in Exeter , villagers gathered around the 'summer rod' for feasting and drinking. Chaucer mentions that a particularly large maypole stood at St Andrew Undershaft , which
12638-441: The help of long poles, today it may sometimes also be done using tractors, forklifts, or even cranes. In Lower Austria ropes and ladders are used. If the communal tree is erected already 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
12780-670: The houses and the village, so that the witches would be "smoked out of their lurking-places and driven away". In Sweden, there are bonfires and outdoor celebrations on May Eve or Walpurgis Night ("Valborgsmässoafton"). Most of the traditions associated elsewhere with May Day are held at Midsummer instead; such as Maypole dancing. Up until the 19th century, on May Day itself, there were mock battles between Summer and Winter. Sir James George Frazer wrote in The Golden Bough (1911): on May Day two troops of young men on horseback used to meet as if for mortal combat. One of them
12922-550: The lack of such records indicates official connivance in the flouting of the prohibition. However, they are certain that the prohibition turned maypole dancing into a symbol of resistance to the Long Parliament and to the republic that followed it. The church of St Andrew Undershaft in the City of London is named after the maypole that was kept under its eaves and set up each spring until 1517 when student riots put an end to
13064-775: The last of these regions, the tradition dates back to the Napoleonic campaigns , when the arbre de la liberté (Liberty tree), the symbol of the French Revolution , arrived in Italy. Liberty trees were erected in the southern part of the region in Ripatransone and Ascoli Piceno . In 1889, the first congress of the Second International , met in Paris for the centennial of the French Revolution and
13206-476: The late 20th century, many neopagans began reconstructing some of the older pagan festivals and combining them with more recently developed European secular and Catholic traditions, and celebrating May Day as a pagan religious festival. In rural regions of Germany, especially the Harz Mountains, Walpurgisnacht celebrations are traditionally held on the night before May Day, including bonfires and
13348-560: The late twentieth century. Both Edinburgh and Glasgow organise May Day festivals and rallies. In Edinburgh , the Beltane Fire Festival is held on the evening of May eve and into the early hours of May Day on the city's Calton Hill . An older Edinburgh tradition has it that young women who climb Arthur's Seat and wash their faces in the morning dew will have lifelong beauty. At the University of St Andrews , some of
13490-399: The lighting of bonfires at night. In the Germanic countries, this became Walpurgis Night , commemorating the official canonization of Saint Walpurga on 1 May 870. It continued the tradition of lighting bonfires. Folklorist Jack Santino says "Her day and its traditions almost certainly are traceable to pre-Christian celebrations that took place at this time". In Gaelic culture, 1 May
13632-589: The maypole around Ascoli remained a rite of celebration of spring but it became also a political symbol of the peasant movement ( mezzadri ) that struggled against the landowners to have decent living conditions. Every year, even today, on the night of 30 April, in many villages of the zone like Appignano del Tronto , Arquata del Tronto , Ascoli Piceno , Castorano , Castignano , Castel di Lama , Colli del Tronto , Grottammare , Monsampolo del Tronto , Porchia (Montalto Marche), Monteprandone , Offida , Rotella , Spinetoli , San Benedetto del Tronto , citizens cut
13774-522: The maypole is usually called a midsummer pole, ( midsommarstång ), as it appears at the Midsummer celebrations, although the literal translation majstång also occurs, where the word maj refers to the Old Swedish word maja which means dress , and not the month of May. The traditions surrounding the maypoles vary locally, as does the design of the poles, although the design featuring
13916-538: The maypole, quarters and hamlets give feasts with music, food, and alcohol which usually last until the dawn of 1 May. The Maypole is locally called 'Majo' (May in the local dialect). Grand Master Marc'Antonio Zondadari introduced the game of cockaigne (with the use of the maypole) to Maltese Carnival in 1721: on a given signal, the crowd assembled in Palace Square converged on a collection of hams, sausages and live animals hidden beneath leafy branches outside
14058-457: The medieval Duchy of Limburg . This Duchy was in fact named after Limbourg on the Vesdre river, now in the Liège province of Belgium, which had never encompassed Hasselt or Maastricht. Belgium split from the Netherlands in 1830, but the status of Limburg was only resolved nine years later in 1839, with the division of Limburg into Belgian and Dutch parts. Hasselt became the provisional capital of
14200-541: The most impressive. This tradition is known as garlanding and was a central feature of Mayday celebrations in central and southern England until the mid-19th century. After that time, it began to be replaced by formally organized school-centered celebrations. It still occurs from place to place but is invariably a reinstatement of a local custom that had lapsed decades earlier. In 1780, Kilmarnock Council, now in East Ayrshire , paid Robert Fraser 2s. 6d. for "dressing
14342-555: The name of their place again, and called it Mount-Dagon. Governor Bradford's censure of the Maypole tradition played a central role in Nathaniel Hawthorne 's fictional story " The Maypole of Merry Mount ", published in 1837. Poet Jonathan Swift in his poem "A Maypole" describes a maypole as: Deprived of root, and branch, and rind, Yet flowers I bear of every kind: And such is my prolific power, They bloom in less than half an hour; " The May-Pole of Merry Mount "
14484-602: The name of their place, and instead of calling it Mount Wollaston, they call it Merie-mounted, as if this jollity would have lasted ever. But this continued not long, for after Morton was sent for England, shortly after came over that worthy gentleman, Mr. John Indecott , who brought a patent under the broad seal, for the government of Massachusetts, who visiting those parts caused the May-pole to be cutt downe, and rebuked them for their profanes, and admonished them to look there should be better walking; so they now, or others, changed
14626-475: The new alternative might not fulfill the cross-border high-quality public transport needs of the Dutch and Belgian provinces of Limburg. Hasselt has two university colleges: University College PXL and University Colleges Leuven-Limburg (UCLL). These offer courses in healthcare, social work, art, commercial sciences, and teacher training, among others. Hasselt University , established in 1971, operates campuses in
14768-455: The numbers of passengers making use of the planned line as well as opposition from the Hasselt city council regarding the planned route through the city. The Flemish government eventually stopped the project, with various Dutch governments reporting to have spent more than €20 million without any major construction happening. The line has now been proposed to be replaced by a so-called electric trambus system. However, concerns were raised too as
14910-472: The official start of their morris dancing season. The Maydayrun involves thousands of motorbikes taking a 55-mile (89 km) trip from Greater London ( Locksbottom ) to the Hastings seafront, East Sussex . The event has been taking place for almost 30 years now and has grown in interest from around the country, both commercially and publicly. The event is not officially organised; the police only manage
15052-574: The outlawing of maypole displays and dancing during the English Interregnum . The Long Parliament 's ordinance of 1644 described maypoles as "a Heathenish vanity, generally abused to superstition and wickedness." The only recorded breach of the Long Parliament's prohibition was in 1655 in Henley-in-Arden , where local officials stopped the erection of maypoles for traditional games. Scholars suspect but have no way to prove, that
15194-413: The pagan symbol into the semblance of a cross, although not completely successful. Common in all of Sweden are traditional ring dances, mostly in the form of dances where participants alternate dancing and making movements and gestures based on the songs, such as pretending to scrub laundry while singing about washing, or jumping as frogs during the song Små grodorna ("The little frogs"). Ring dancing
15336-582: The period 1350–1400 the custom was well established across southern Britain, in town and country and in both Welsh-speaking and English-speaking areas." The practice became increasingly popular throughout the ensuing centuries, with the maypoles becoming "communal symbols" that brought the local community together – in some cases, poorer parishes would join up with neighboring ones in order to obtain and erect one, whilst in other cases, such as in Hertfordshire in 1602 and Warwickshire in 1639, people stole
15478-589: The permanent Maypole at Offenham , in Worcestershire . Temporary Maypoles are usually erected on village greens and events are often supervised by local Morris dancing groups. In some regions, a somewhat different Maypole tradition existed: the carrying of highly decorated sticks. The sticks had hoops or cross-sticks or swags attached, covered with flowers, greenery, or artificial materials such as crepe paper. Children would take these hand-held poles to school on May Day morning and prizes may be awarded for
15620-466: The poles of neighboring communities, leading to violence. In some cases the wood for the pole was obtained illegally, for instance in 1603, the earl of Huntingdon was angered when trees were removed from his estates for use as maypoles without his permission. The rise of Protestantism in the 16th century led to increasing disapproval of maypoles and other May Day practices from various Protestants who viewed them as idolatry and therefore immoral. Under
15762-439: The practice was sporadic, being banned in certain areas, such as Doncaster , Canterbury , and Bristol , but continuing in many others, according to the wishes of the local governors. In Scotland meanwhile, which at this time was still an independent state, Protestantism, in the form of Presbyterianism , had taken a more powerful hold, and largely wiped out the practice of maypoles across the country. Royal support contributed to
15904-468: The prophet Jeremiah , but its origins are most probably pagan. It is said that on the days of the Holy Forty or Annunciation snakes come out of their burrows, and on Irminden their king comes out. Old people believe that those working in the fields on this day will be bitten by a snake in summer. In western Bulgaria people light fires, jump over them and make noises to scare snakes. Another custom
16046-505: The psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud . Phallic symbolism has been attributed to the maypole in the later Early Modern period, as one sexual reference is in John Cleland 's controversial novel Fanny Hill : ... and now, disengaged from the shirt, I saw, with wonder and surprise, what? not the plaything of a boy, not the weapon of a man, but a maypole of so enormous a standard, that had have proportions been observed, it must have belonged to
16188-412: The reign of Edward VI in England and Wales, Protestant Anglicanism was declared to be the state religion, and under the Reformation many maypoles, such as the famous Cornhill maypole of London, were destroyed; however when Mary I ascended the throne after Edward's death, she reinstated Roman Catholicism as the state faith, and the practice of maypoles was reinstated. Under later English monarchs,
16330-416: The reintroduction of fares (60 cents per ride). The city's official website records passenger growth as follows: A Belgian website describes Hasselt identity cards as becoming "like gold in value", because of free bus travel. In 2013, Hasselt cancelled free public transportation due to financial reasons. The operator increased its claim towards the city, which the city could not pay. Now persons up to
16472-580: The relevant governments were reached in June 2008 and December 2011. The line was planned to reduce the current travel time of 61 minutes by bus to only 36 minutes. Construction should have started in 2014, with the line expected to go into service in 2017. The construction eventually was delayed several times due to problems with the Wilhelminabrug in Maastricht, concerns about the profitability and
16614-452: The same day. The event is similar to German Walpurgisnacht, its public holiday on 30 April. On 31 May, the maypole is taken down in an event called Maypole Felling. On 1 May, couples in love kiss under a blooming tree. According to the ethnographer Klára Posekaná, this is not an old habit. It most likely originated around the beginning of the 20th century in an urban environment, perhaps in connection with Karel Hynek Mácha 's poem Máj (which
16756-551: The site is planned to generate employment for 7,500 people in 350 companies on an area of 14 acres. The Compact Cassette and Cassette Recorder were invented by a team of Belgian and Dutch engineers, led by the Lou Ottens , at Philips' Hasselt site in 1963. In 1983, a team of engineers developed one of the first compact disc (CD) devices at Philips Hasselt. Hasselt lies at the junction of important traffic arteries from several directions. The most important motorways are
16898-534: The students gather on the beach late on 30 April and run into the North Sea at sunrise on May Day, occasionally naked. This is accompanied by torchlit processions and much elated celebration. In Wales the first day of May is known as Calan Mai or Calan Haf , and parallels the festival of Beltane and other May Day traditions in Europe. Traditions would start the night before ( Nos Galan Haf ) with bonfires, and
17040-563: The sun up' on May Day morning. Jack in the Green is an English folkloric figure who parades through the streets on May Day, accompanied by musicians, beggars, and various other characters. 'Dancing the sun up' is a tradition among Morris dancers to dance at sunrise on May Day, to welcome in the sun and the summer season. It began in Oxford in 1923, and includes dances, traditional May Day songs, and sometimes other activities such as mummers' plays or bonfires. This tradition has since spread across
17182-427: The thieves to free beer and a festivity to get it back. Just before the Maibaum is erected, depending on the region, there may be a procession through the village, usually ending at a central place and/or restaurant and usually watched by crowds of spectators and accompanied by a brass band . The actual installation of the tree then takes place in the afternoon or evening. The maypole is traditionally set up with
17324-562: The traffic, and volunteers manage the parking. Padstow in Cornwall holds its annual 'Obby-'Oss (Hobby Horse) day of festivities. This is believed to be one of the oldest fertility rites in the UK; revellers dance with the Oss through the streets of the town and even though the private gardens of the citizens, accompanied by accordion players and followers dressed in white with red or blue sashes who sing traditional May Day songs. The whole town
17466-536: The tree in the garden. In the morning, they compared who got the longer May Pole, tried to guess who gave it to them and often, which envious lover has plucked the tree. Unlike other May Poles, in Hungary it was the length of the tree that mattered, which would ultimately convince the girls to go out with the men. This was a common form of rural flirting , similar to the Hajnalfa. The lovers were always assisted by
17608-473: The two cities have been involved in a friendly rivalry to decide who has the "real" Meyboom. It is also customary, mostly in the Dutch -speaking region of Belgium, to place a branch (also called a Meiboom ) on the highest point of a building under construction. The erection of the branch is often cause for celebration by both the workmen and the neighbors. In Germany and Austria, the maypole (or Maibaum )
17750-479: The two-day Hasselt Jenever Festival takes place. It includes, among other elements, musical, dance, and street theatre performances, the Borrelmanneke fountain on Maastricherstraat being transformed from a water fountain into a Jenever fountain for the day and a Waiters' Race through the city center. Hasselt speculaas is a type of speculaas originating from and only produced in Hasselt. It differs from
17892-485: The type of speculaas eaten in the rest of Belgium in its greater thickness, its smaller reliance on spices - which gives it a milder taste -, and in its structure, with a crispy crust and soft, doughy insides. Speculaas was baked in Hasselt as early as the 14th century. According to tradition, Hasselt speculaas was eaten with chilled Jenever. The early 19th century saw the introduction of the Spéculation de Hasselt -
18034-483: The usual school holiday pattern. (By contrast, the Easter Holiday can start as late—relative to Easter —as Good Friday , if Easter falls early in the year; or finish as early—relative to Easter—as Easter Monday, if Easter falls late in the year, because of the supreme significance of Good Friday and Easter Day to Christianity .) Other prominent English May Day customs include Jack in the Green , and 'dancing
18176-424: The water under the bridge is only 2 feet (61 cm) deep and jumping from the bridge has resulted in serious injury in the past. There are still people who climb the barriers and leap into the water, causing themselves injury. In Durham , students of the University of Durham gather on Prebend's Bridge to see the sunrise and enjoy festivities, folk music, dancing, madrigal singing and a barbecue breakfast. This
18318-621: The world, with Morris dance teams dancing the sun up in Asia, Australia, Canada, France, New Zealand, and the USA. May Day was abolished and its celebration banned by Puritan parliaments during the Interregnum , but reinstated with the restoration of Charles II in 1660. 1 May 1707, was the day the Act of Union came into effect, joining the kingdoms of England (including Wales) and Scotland to form
18460-434: The wrapping of a Maibaum (maypole). Young people use this opportunity to party, while the day itself is used by many families to get some fresh air. Motto: "Tanz in den Mai" ( "Dance into May" ). In the Rhineland , 1 May is also celebrated by the delivery of a maypole, a tree covered in streamers to the house of a girl the night before. The tree is typically from a love interest, though a tree wrapped only in white streamers
18602-450: Was a metaphor for the fulfilment of a love affair. If the kitáncolás didn't happen that meant, the boy has abandoned his courtship. The ornaments of the wheel were raced to be taken down by the men climbing up the pole. Often, however, they would play tricks on each other by putting water with paprika in a bottle on top of the tree instead of wine. The winner was declared the King of Pentecost ,
18744-399: Was a tall tree stripped of its bark, with the foliage left only at the top (usually 12-15 meters), but it could also be a smaller tree or a large, flowering, greenish branch. They also tried to personalise the trees, decorating them with small gifts, combs, mirrors but also thorny branches and rags, reflecting negative qualities. Often it was only in front of the priest and judge's house that
18886-480: Was a workday. In Ireland, May Day has long been celebrated as the festival of Bealtaine . It marks the beginning of summer and historically was when cattle were driven out to the summer pastures. Rituals were performed to protect cattle, people and crops, and to encourage growth. Special bonfires were kindled, whose flames, smoke and ashes were deemed to have protective powers. The people and their cattle would walk around or between bonfires, and sometimes leap over
19028-460: Was celebrated with splendorous banquets and offerings. Its reputation for licentiousness caused it to be suppressed during the reign of Emperor Constantine , though a less debauched version of it was briefly restored during the reigns of Arcadius and Honorius , only to be suppressed again during the same period. During the Middle Ages, May Eve was celebrated in much of northern Europe with
19170-521: Was chosen by Pope Pius XII in 1955 as a counterpoint to the communist International Workers' Day celebrations on May Day. The best known modern May Day traditions, observed both in Europe and North America, include dancing around the maypole and crowning the Queen of May . Fading in popularity since the late 20th century is the tradition of giving of "May baskets", small baskets of sweets or flowers, usually left anonymously on neighbours' doorsteps. In
19312-416: Was collectively erected by church parishioners annually due to its large shape. The symbolism of the maypole has been continuously debated by folklorists for centuries, although no definitive answer has been found. Some scholars classify maypoles as symbols of the world axis ( axis mundi ). The fact that they were found primarily in areas of Germanic Europe, where, prior to Christianisation, Germanic paganism
19454-549: Was followed in various forms, has led to speculation by some that the maypoles were in some way a relic of a Germanic pagan tradition. One theory holds that they were a remnant of the Germanic reverence for sacred trees, as there is evidence for various sacred trees and wooden pillars that were venerated by the pagans across much of Germanic Europe, including Thor's Oak and the Irminsul . Ronald Hutton, however, states that "there
19596-553: Was found primarily in England and in areas of the Scottish Lowlands and Wales which were under English influence. However, the earliest recorded evidence comes from a Welsh poem written by Gryffydd ap Adda ap Dafydd in the mid-14th century, in which he described how people used a tall birch pole at Llanidloes , central Wales. Literary evidence for maypole use across much of Britain increases in later decades, and "by
19738-479: Was led by a representative of Winter clad in furs, who threw snowballs and ice in order to prolong the cold weather. The other troop was commanded by a representative of Summer covered with fresh leaves and flowers. In the sham fight which followed the party of Summer came off victorious, and the ceremony ended with a feast Sweden's first May Day celebration was held in Halmstad on 2nd of May, 1897 because 1st of May
19880-502: Was not established as a public holiday until Nazi Germany declared 1 May a "national workers' day" in 1933. As Labour Day , many political parties and unions host activities related to work and employment. In The Golden Bough: A Study in Magic and Religion , Sir James George Frazer reported May Day customs in Tyrol during the 19th century. It was a time for banishing evil powers from
20022-514: Was the celebration of Beltaine or Cétshamhain , while for the Welsh it was Calan Mai or Cyntefin . First attested in 900 AD, the celebration mainly focused on the symbolic use of fire to bless cattle and other livestock as they were moved to summer pastures. This custom continued into the early 19th century, during which time cattle would be made to jump over fires to protect their milk from being stolen by fairies . People would also leap over
20164-400: Was the first city to receive the title "most sociable city in Flanders". In 1977, the merger of Hasselt with several surrounding municipalities added 22.309 inhabitants at the time to its own population of 40.446 inhabitants. As of 1 October 2024, Hasselt had a total population of 81.708 (40.070 men and 41.638 women). Hasselt is the main seat of the Catholic diocese of Hasselt, which covers
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