May Day Disappointment

In addition to yesterday being Labor Day and EU Expansion day, it was also May Day.

When I was a kid, we used to deliver May Baskets to our friends and family on May Day. These usually consisted of little paper cups with pipe cleaner handles that were filled with candies like butterscotches or cinnamon disks and flowers like violets, lily of the valleys, or even dandelions. The trick was to deliver the basket to the door of the person, ring the doorbell and/or knock, and then runaway before the person came to the door. If the person came to the door and "caught you," you were required to give that person a kiss. Some years there was even a dance around a May Pole in the park.

I'm not sure when I stopped delivering May baskets (around 10, I suppose) but until I came to Germany I had nearly forgotten all about May Day. Upon moving to Bavaria, one of the first things I spotted in our little village was a very tall blue and white striped pole. When I pointed it out to A., he told me that here in Bavaria, most towns still celebrate May Day with the raising of the May Pole. I was so excited I couldn't wait until May to see the whole thing.

Last year, there was a May Day celebration here. There was a beer garden in the middle of main street, a Bavarian band that played all day, and the May Pole was laid on its side along the side of the road. We went to the beer garden early in the morning, because I was under the impression that they were going to raise the May Pole first thing. Imagine my disappointment when we had been wandering around for an hour and there was no May Pole raising. We got kind of bored after an hour or so because the band was beginning to repeat their songs and we don't drink beer. So we bought a pretzel and went home, intending to come back later to see the May Pole raising. Of course, one thing led to another and before we knew it, we looked out our window and the May Pole had been raised. I was very disappointed, but consoled myself that I would see the feat "next year."

Well, yesterday was "next year" and there was no sign of a May Day festival. Because of the EU Expansion celebrations, A. told me to wait until today because maybe they had pushed the festival back a day. I have now officially waited and still I hear no music indicating a celebration and if I look out my window, the May Pole is where it was yesterday. I guess they have decided not to celebrate May Day this year. Boo Hoo. Oh well, I guess there is always "next year."