Local Life

Old News: Springing into the May Pole Dance

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It’s May Day! And, back in the day, there was a dance for that — around a May Pole.

It’s something that’s rarely seen these days, if at all. But, while memories of May Pole dances in Rumson and Fair Haven haven’t surfaced, such pagan holiday dances were a yesteryear tradition in Sea Bright when there was a school — Sea Bright School on Ocean Avenue.

In short, the day and its fetes are all about the height of spring and its promise of growth and rebirth.

The May Pole dance is symbolic of fertility in all realms. Girls held ribbons that were tethered to the top of a center pole, a phallic symbol, and danced. They, through the dancing, wound the ribbons together and then unwound them.

All that pole dancing was done on May Day, May 1, which is rooted in astronomy Celtic tradition. May 1 is the mid point, astrologically, from spring equinox to summer solstice. In Gaelic pagan tradition it is dubbed Beltane, or Day of Fire.

The fertility significance comes with the stars and weather, when, agriculturally and in the human and animal realms, seeds are sown and ready to sprout. It was a day of celebration. Still is. But the dance around that May pole is not seen in Sea Bright anymore.

No one really knows why the May Pole dance was one done by girls only, but one can hazard a “coming into fertility” guess. And the girls were dressed in white. Hmmmm …

It’s a pretty sure bet that they had no idea of the significance back in 1960 and ’66. But, they were clearly enjoying the festivities, dancing the day away and being photographed for the local newspaper The Daily Register. There were no stories, just expanded photo captions that, in 1960, said that second, third and fourth grade girls did the May Pole dancing while the girls of the fifth through eighth grade did some folk dancing, not pictured. Not a boy in the camera’s sight — and no mention of them either. Were’d the boys go for the May dance?

In 1966, the highlighted photo caption said that, again, the lower grade girls did the May Pole dance while the older girls not only did some folk dancing, but also some racing and gymnastics. Hmmmm … Bending over backwards for spring? Perhaps.

The original ancient Celtic May Pole was a tree that was danced around, the dancers summoning fertility in crops and mankind. Courtship possibilities for the young loomed over the tradition, too.

There are some other May Day traditions, if dancing’s not your thing. For instance, you can wash your face with the morning dew for good luck. I’m thinking that might just be a bit unattainable. There’s the flower gathering thing, too. OK. That’s attainable. But, really, when in doubt, just dance.

Whatever the root reason for the seasonal fete, pole or not, go ahead … We dare you to break into a little happy dance for the height of spring and all it brings. Just send pics!

May we have this dance?

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