May day

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May days are traditional local festivals or parades in southern Germany, which usually go back to parades after school visits.

history

The festivals originally marked the end of the regular school visits. The festivals have their origins as early as the 15th century (Rutenfest in Regensburg), from the 17th century they can be found in numerous places. The parades were originally processions of the students to the church or to the fairground. The supervising teachers often received a special payment on the occasion of the festival, the so-called May money or the rod penny . In many places, the May days had special regional characteristics, e.g. B. with the choice of a May King , with the reciting of May's sayings or with special competitions like the May Run .

The term is not derived from the month of May, but from the green twigs or tufts of rods, also known as Maien , that were traditionally carried along with the parades. The festivals usually took place in spring or summer, with the date set by the local community or school inspectorate. A May Day could also take place in May, but usually not on May 1st, which was a religious holiday as Philippi and Jacobi.

Often these school festivals have become folk festivals , where adults in particular enjoyed drinking and dancing. From 1757 the general synod of Wuerttemberg tried to stop the May days in Wuerttemberg, but was unsuccessful. The general synod made a further advance in 1822 when it stipulated that the May days should only be celebrated as children's and youth festivals. Not all places where May days were observed obeyed this rule. While in some places May Day has only been celebrated as a children's parade since then, in other places it has kept a character that is increasingly aimed at the entertainment of the entire population.

Have a long tradition u. a. The folk festivals called May Day in Göppingen , Vaihingen an der Enz ( Vaihinger May Day ) and Nürtingen , the Rutenfest Ravensburg , the Rutenfest in Regensburg and the Lauffen Children's Festival all go back to such a tradition.

literature

  • Norbert Hoffmann: Lauffener Maientag and Maientagsstiftung 1652–1922 , in: Lauffener Kinderfest 2008 , pp. 14–33.