Have you ever pranced around a maypole weaving the ribbons over and under the other dancers' ribbons?
Takes lots of practice to keep the pattern straight and prevent knots that take forever to …
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Have you ever pranced around a maypole weaving the ribbons over and under the other dancers' ribbons?
Takes lots of practice to keep the pattern straight and prevent knots that take forever to be untangled. Then you have to do the dance in reverse to unwind it for the next dancing team.
May Day is a big deal since forever. As days get longer and April showers give way to spring blossoms, everyone is ready to be outside. Ancient peoples had elaborate festivals, usually involving matchmaking and "somewhat rowdy" activities. These eventually grew into festivities combining royal coronations and entertainment performed for the monarchs, as in the Nutcracker performances for Clara and the Prince. Middle Ages saw jousting and archery tournaments that were the stuff of legends and heroes.
Continuing to evolve and spread to right here at home, almost every community celebrated May Day during the first half of the twentieth century. Most festivals were held in conjunction with the school, where the children took part in all sorts of activities. Last week, I wove in and out of memories of a few of those who told me all about them.
Nearly all old folks have memories of the May Day festivals held Way Back When the maypole dance was the highlight of the year. Winding a maypole is not as easy as it looks. Students had to practice the intricate pattern of weaving the ribbon. Ethel Higgins of Bay Minette remembers that each teacher in the lower grades of Douglasville School made up a different design and taught her class how to dance in and out to decorate the pole. The Rev. D. L. Boykin told me all about the competitive games held, such as baseball and volleyball tournaments.
An antique maypole is on display at the City of Daphne Museum, where Director Rachel Bertagnolli Burt showed dresses worn by the court. Burt's story is much like every little girl back then. She had been at May Day every year since her birth. Her aunt and mother had been in the court years ago, and her dream came true when she was selected to be flower girl for her sister, the May Queen. There was a procession of court members, the Queen was crowned with a laurel wreath, and the party began.
Daphne May Day was actually started to raise funds for the Normal School, which was in the former courthouse on the corner of College Street and Old County Road facing May Day Pier. A group of residents, eventually called the May Day Association, organized a full day of fun. The program of events for 1928 is an example of May Day activities:
8:30 a.m. — Athletic events
11 a.m. — Baby Show
Noon — Political speeches
1:30 p.m. — Procession of Queens
Pageant featuring dances depicting Daphne history
3 p.m. — Baseball: Daphne vs. Robertsdale
4 p.m. — Dancing in the gymnasium
7:30 p.m. — Egyptian musical play "The Riddle of Isis"
May Day soon grew to included representatives from other schools in the county and continued after the Normal School closed and students were moved into the new Daphne School. May Day Park is still a gathering place, and a statue by Bruce Larson was unveiled at the 2024 celebration.
Just down the road at Baldwin County Training School, teachers and parents created an almost identical day for their students. The Black Education Museum at W.J. Carroll School displays artifacts and photos of girls dressed in gorgeous ruffles, and the athletic uniforms were just as fancy. Vickie Graham says they also had May Day at Anna T. Jeannes School in Fairhope. She remembers dressing in Sunday dresses or costumes to match the song each teacher chose for her class to perform before the court. One example was a performance to "Annie Get Your Gun," and the children wore Western outfits lovingly
One last little tidbit. My first grade teacher at Gorgas Elementary in Mobile earned her certificate at Daphne Normal School, and she duplicated the festival for the whole school. I remember very well the playground being turned into a magical kingdom where each class performed dances for the royal court sitting on a decorated stage. And my little girl dream came true in second grade when I was a flower girl. How lucky can a girl be? I am not so sure my mother felt the same, as had to make that dress with hundreds of ruffles!
If you want to learn more than I can include here, I encourage you to visit the Black Education Museum, the Douglasville Museum and the City of Daphne Museum. And go dance a maypole this year!
