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Unusual May Day Traditions Across the World
In the UK, May Day is commonly associated with Morris dancing and maypoles. However there are many other weird and wonderful ways of marking a day which is usually linked to the arrival of spring.
As experienced organisers of commercial and domestic removals to Europe, Hamiltons Removals are extremely knowledgeable about the unusual customs and practices across the continent and worldwide. Here are five countries who have unusual May 1 traditions.
Germany
In Germany, the celebrations begin the night before on what is known as Walpurgisnacht, or Witches’ Night. Residents dance around a large bonfire to ward off evil spirits, and this usually goes on until the following day. April 30 was originally believed to be the day that the country’s witches met Satan in the country’s Harz Mountains.
On May 1 itself, Germans often put up a Maibaum or May tree. This is often accompanied by parades, brass band music and plenty of food and drink. The tree is often stripped back to the trunk and decorated with flowers, colourful ribbons and woodcarvings. It pays to keep an eye on it, as it may be stolen by a neighbouring parish and a ransom, usually in the form of beer, must be paid to get it back.
Sweden
The Swedes also mark Walpurgisnacht, although here it is called Valborg. Bonfires are lit, but choral singing rather than dancing is the order of the day. Traditional songs are sung to herald the arrival of spring. On May 1, there are a number of parades throughout the streets, although these are more to honour International Workers’ Day.
Greece
The Greeks also use May 1 to celebrate the arrival of spring. Flower festivals are common in many cities and towns, while many people decorate their home with a wreath, traditionally with wild flowers on a background of green leaves. The wreath is then hung over the front door or a balcony until Midsummer Night, when it is ceremonially burned in a bonfire to make the St John’s Eve festival.
Another unusual tradition is for children to rise early on May Day to search for the first swallow of spring. Once the right sort of bird is found, the youngsters go from door to door, singing spring songs, and are rewarded with cakes, fruit and nuts.
Bulgaria
Bonfires also form an integral part of May Day commemorations in Bulgaria, where the occasion is called Irminden, and they are lit to scare off snakes and lizards. Bulgarian tradition says that that snakes come out during the festival of the Annunciation from March 25 onwards, followed by their ‘King’ on May 1. If you work in the fields on that day, legend says you will be bitten by a snake during the summer. To avoid this, people light bonfires, and make lots of noise or jump over the flames, to scare the unwanted visitors away.
The USA
Although May Day celebrations have not really caught on throughout North America, in some areas people make May baskets as an expression of love. These are filled with gifts or flowers, and then the admirer leaves in on a front step, rings the doorbell and runs away. If the receiver spots the giver, tradition dictates that they give chase and try to steal a kiss from the basket-maker.
Hamiltons Removals offer removals services to Europe, including to Germany, France, Italy and the Netherlands. Our international removals department can help you with commercial and domestic moves to the USA, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and many other worldwide destinations. Follow the link above if you would like to receive a quote.
Use Self-Storage to Take the Stress out of Moving
The warmer weather is usually the cue for would-be homebuyers and sellers to spring into action. Although moving is generally thought to be one of life’s more stressful experiences, with a little careful preparation, particularly when it comes to storing items, the whole process can go extremely smoothly.
Hamiltons Removals specialise in self-storage for customers in Suffolk and Norfolk, and particularly in the areas around Diss, Harleston and Stradbroke. Here are the key ways in which self-storage can make the whole process of moving so much simpler and comparatively stress-free.
It Starts Before You Move
If you have a home which you want to sell, then putting some bulky items such as furniture into self-storage can accelerate the process. Fewer possessions around the house can give your home a relatively uncluttered look, making it appear more spacious and so more attractive to would-be buyers.
Think about the outside of the home too; it creates a far better impression if children’s toys, bikes and garden furniture are not lying loose around the garden but are neatly stored away.
Once you have agreed to sell, moving some items into self-storage in advance can ease the workload on the big day, when there will be plenty of decisions to make and other priorities to decide on. It also eases the physical demands on everyone as well.
More Time to Move In
Even after you have sold your old home, you may still have to wait before you move into your new one. The sellers may still be waiting to exchange contracts before moving into a new property of their own, or your new home may need some restoration work before you can take up residence.
So you may find it beneficial to use some rented accommodation for a short while before you move in. If your temporary home is fully furnished, then putting all your bigger possessions into self-storage may be essential.
Even if you can move into your new home, self-storage is still a good idea; you have much more space to decorate and refurbish if some of the larger items are in a secure facility elsewhere, and you won’t run the risk of getting paint all over them.
More Time to Make Decisions
If you are downsizing, then the chances are not all your possessions will fit into your smaller home. However, you may not want to get rid of a family heirloom or a treasured possession immediately. If you put the items into self-storage, you don’t need to make a hasty decision, but can wait until you are settled in your new surroundings.
Similarly, newly-weds or people sharing a home for the first time may have duplicate items. Putting one of them into self-storage will save valuable space and give you more time to decide which one works best.
Businesses Can Benefit Too
It is not just domestic customers who can benefit from using self-storage facilities ahead of any move. Businesses who don’t have enough room for their staff, stock and office equipment, and who want to move to larger premises. find that a self-storage facility is vital for housing non-essential items for the duration of the move.
This also applies to valuable paperwork such as sales records and invoices, which can be easy to lose but difficult to trace. And giving your walls a fresh lick of paint is much easier if the bulkiest office furniture has been put into self-storage.
Hamiltons Self-Storage – Suffolk and Norfolk
Whatever your self-storage needs, we can meet them at Hamiltons Removals. We have two Safe N Stored sites close to the border between Suffolk and Norfolk, at Harleston and Aldeby.
Our Aldeby site has a choice of containers available for rent, with floor space ranging from 35 sq ft to 150 sq ft. They are particularly suitable for larger items as you can drive right up to them. They are covered by CCTV cameras and are fitted with uniform padlocks which allows for extra security checks.
At Harleston, we have storage rooms from 25 sq ft to 200 sq ft, so we will have one to fit your requirements. It is also protected by CCTV and the alarm is linked to Norfolk Police. There is also an on-site shop which supplies a comprehensive selection of cartons and packing materials. If you would like to know more about our self-storage facilities, click here .