Sing cuckoo!
The first day of Summer, in spite of the fact that tomorrow night we are supposed to get freezing temperatures, is tomorrow.
The celebrations begin tonight with welcoming bonfires.
When I was a child, on May Eve (aka Walpurgisnacht), we'd go door to door bearing blooming sprigs. We'd trade the sprigs for lebkuchen, Mai Wein flavored with woodruff, or coins.
Then we'd run to the bonfire, where there was more Mai Wein, tables full of food, and dancing. We'd dance all night long.
Of course, I was a child, so I was pretty oblivious to the fact that couples would sneak away to the fields for privacy. Not sure how private it was, those fields must have been pretty noisy and crowded at times.
We'd greet one another with "Tanz in den Mai" (dance into May) and we'd dance - alone or with friends, in a circle around the bonfire, or as we moved from place to place. Our feet made all kinds of little steps, and we'd twirl and the energy was so high. Some of the children and the older people would nap around the bonfire. We'd toss a blanket over them and keep dancing.
When dawn arrived, we'd cheer the summer in with songs and more dancing and more food.
During the night, Maibaumen would appear near doors, or rice hearts would hang on the outside of windows or by the door mats. Maibaumen would be tree branches wrapped in ribbons. Colored ribbons were signs of affection and all white ribbons indicated dislike. You had to really dislike someone to leave an all white Maibaum.
Cones of May flowers (usually bachelor buttons, bulb flowers like tulips and irises, early roses, blooming apple, cherry, and peach tree branches, yarrow, sweet peas, stephanotis, anemones, agapanthus, alpine asters, gentian, alpine balsam, and lilies) would be hung on the doorknobs of friends. These flowers would be used as table decorations for the Kaffees during the "luck-visits" throughout the day.
The luck visits were very brief - you'd ring the doorbell on homes where the door stood open, present the head of the house with a flower, you'd be invited in for kaffee which was served in tiny cups with a tiny cookie, you'd wish one another an abundant summer, and then off to the next house. When it was your turn to be at home to receive luck visitors, you'd tuck the flower into the blooming centerpiece of your table, pour tiny cups of kaffee, and hand out a tiny cookie. A closed door with a single blossom on the doormat indicated you were out visiting and not home yet.
By 4:00 pm, the visits would be over and everyone would gather where a may pole was erected for feasting and dancing the may pole. Young teens were usually the ones who danced the may pole, but anyone who wanted to could dance it - the girls faced one direction and the boys the other as they wove in and out. The top of the pole had a crown of flowers and when the pole was wrapped in ribbons, it was tied off with more flowers. It was borne to the fields and burned, and the ashes scattered across the fields.
During this feast, young pigs, wing-clipped chickens, cows, geese, ducks, goats, cats, and dogs were allowed to wander freely and were feasted as well. After the bonfire of the may pole, the animals were rounded up, restored to their yards, coops, stalls, and styes, and the remaining flowers were tossed randomly.
The flowers were not swept up but somehow always managed to be gone from the streets by May 3rd.
It's been a long time since I was a child and participated in a Walpurgisnacht celebration. They don't do them here in America that I've seen, and probably not the way our little village did it. It's been long enough that even our little village may have changed. They have electricity and running water and even internet there now.
There's no going back to what was, though.
So, I will dance tonight in my back yard around a fire in the clay chimenea I made and cook hot dogs to share with Itzl and Xoco. Sometime during the night, I will drive around town and leave cones of flowers from my garden on the doors of my friends.
And tomorrow, I will drink coffee, eat cookies, and wish all my friends a bounteous summer.
Summer is a Coming In
Summer is coming in, loudly sings the cuckoo, cuckoo, cuckoo....
The seed grows; the meadow blossoms, and the woods alivens anew.
The ewe bleats after the lamb; the cow lows after the calf;
The bull leaps; the goat capers*; merrily sing cuckoo!
Well sing you, cuckoo--don't ever stop now.
Sing cuckoo, now....
May Day
This morning is the month of May,
the finest of the year.
Good people all, both great and small,
I wish you joyful cheer.
I’ve brought you here a bunch of may,
Before your door it stands.
It’s well set out, and well spread out,
and fashioned by God’s hand.
I’ve wandered far, through all the night,
and also through the day,
And when I come your way again
I’ll bring a branch of may.
My song is done, I will be gone,
I can no longer stay.
God bless you all, both great and small,
And send a joyful May.
Hal an Tow
What shall we have that kill the deer?
His leather skin and horns to wear
Then sing him home without a care
The rest shall bear this burden
Take no scorn to wear the horn
It was the crest when you was born
Your father's father wore it
And your father wore it too
Chorus (after each verse):
Hal-an-tow, jolly rumbalow
We were up long before the day-O
To welcome in the summer,
To welcome in the May-O
For summer is a-coming in
And winter's gone away-O
What happened to the Spaniards
That made so brave a boast-O?
Oh they shall eat the feathered goose
And we shall eat the roast-O
Now Robin Hood and Little John
They both went to the fair-O
And we shall to the jolly green wood
To hunt the buck and hare-O
God bless Aunt Mary Moses
And all her power and might-O
And send us peace to England
Send peace by day and night-O
Hail! Hail! The First of May
Winter time has gone and past-o,
Summer time has come at last-o.
We shall sing and dance the day
And follow the hobby horse that brings the May.
Chorus (after each verse):
So, Hail! Hail! The First of May-o!
For it is the first summer’s day-o!
Cast you cares and fears away,
Drink to the old horse on the First of May!
Blue bells they have started to ring-o,
And true love, it is the thing-o.
Love on any other day
Is never quite the same as on the First of May!
Never let it come to pass-o
We should fail to raise a glass-o!
Unto those now gone away
And left us the hobby horse that brings the May!
Walpurgisnacht
Walpurgisnacht vorbei!
Es stürmt und wetterleuchtet,
Den Einzug hält der Mai,
Von Dämmergrau'n umfeuchtet.
An Felsen Flutgeroll,
Verglimmend Sterngefunkel,
Im Wald schlägt sehnsuchtsvoll
Die Drossel tief im Dunkel.
Die Windfahn' krächzt am Dach,
Der Uhu im Geklüfte;
Was wispert wie ein Ach
Verhallend in die Lüfte?
Ein Hexchen ist's, die just
Vom Blocksberg heimgefahren,
Beschneit die volle Brust
Und Blüten in den Haaren.
Am grünen Fensterbrett
Da duften die Violen;
Sie wirft sich auf ihr Bett
Mit schwerem Atemholen.
Die Händchen ruhn im Schoß,
Ein Schleier hängt zerrissen
Um ihr Gesichtchen los,
Sie drückt es in die Kissen.
Am Tisch brennt, tief im Docht,
Von gestern noch die Kerze,
Ihr Herzchen pocht, es pocht
In wildem Liebesschmerze.
Verschlafen kräht der Hahn,
Ein Blitz noch, und ein trüber,
Umwölbter Tag bricht an –
Walpurgisnacht vorüber!