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Photography: May Day

“As full of spirit as the month of May, and as gorgeous as the sun in Midsummer.”
—William Shakespeare

Today we celebrated May Day by watching a group of 8th grade students dance around in the pouring rain. It was a lovely morning and a wonderful reminder of beauty and connection. I hope you enjoy these photos and let me know if you have a favorite.

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  • These photos were taken with an Olympus OM-D and edited with ON1 Photo RAW.

43 thoughts on “Photography: May Day”

    • It was pretty cold but luckily I had a tent to stand inside. I felt so bad for those kids, but they were such troopers. It’s a big milestone at the school and they weren’t about to let a little rain ruin it.

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      • Glad they managed it despite the crummy weather – only just saw your 2022 celebration & what a difference the sun makes! 🙂

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    • Wiccan’s also celebrate May Day I think, but this is at the school my children both attended. They aren’t there anymore, but we still attend the May Day celebration because it’s a beautiful tradition of moving forward. We’ve had rain before, but nothing like this day. It was still moving and inspiring to see them make that beautiful pattern down the pole.

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    • I’m glad those photos stuck out to you. I tried to only use photos that didn’t identify the kids, but I wanted to still show the beauty and dedication they had to finishing the dance and putting on a lovely show for the community. It was a wonderful morning.

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    • It’s a rite of passage at the school my children attended from K-8. Dancing the May Pole is tradition and a challenge for the students to work together to create something beautiful to give back to the community and their parents. Nobody can step in and help them after they begin. They put up the pole, untangle the ribbon, and do several patterns before finishing with the final pattern down the pole. Both my kids still have their pieces of the ribbon framed in their rooms.

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  14. Bridgette a delightful array of photos bringing us into may with vibrant colours. number two, makes me think new life is here and it grasps nature as she her self is being awoken and reborn let the new circle begin. Thanks again for sharing☺️ hope the book you talked about is going well ❤️

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    • I love what you said about my goddaughter’s chubby little hand, such a wonderful way of looking at new life. As it happens, I’ve been working on my book all morning. I’m very excited at the way it’s going right now. Still so much work to do, but today I figured out a complex part of the story that was tripping me up. Onward!

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  18. This maypole makes sense especially the way the ribbons are plaited around the pole. When I was at primary school I remember maypole dancing and the plaiting but not the dressing of the pole in this way. I guess after fifty plus years the details have been transformed into impressions. Lovely pictures. Thank you for reminding me. Oh, before starting, the ribbons were held down by small (old fashioned) beanbags.

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    • I’m so glad these photos could spark that memory for you. The dancers practice for weeks and the plaited ribbon is the result of the last dance. The ribbon is later slipped off the pole and cut into pieces for each student to keep as a momento of the day. Both my kids have theirs in a frame. It’s really the culmination of their 8 years together as a class. It’s a beautiful and meaningful tradition.

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