It's the season of Bank Holidays....and We Love it!
We've just had Easter and the long weekend, and now we can look forward to May with the two traditional long weekends, and for 2023 the bonus day in honour of King Charles' coronation! Thanks Charlie xx
Did you know, although we love the extra statutory holidays and all plan days out and parties around them, as a nation the UK has the lowest number in the world except for Mexico which has just seven to our eight.
If you were thinking 8 isn't bad then you might think again when you hear that India has a massive 21 days (whether that is on top of a holiday allowance I have no idea).
The early May holiday which falls on the first Monday of the month is traditionally a celebration of the start of the summer season, the end of winter and a celebration of fertility. Looking out of the window right now I want to laugh, but can't because it's mid April and we've had a total of 5 days of sunshine so far!!
May Day is a time for parties, dancing and merriment. In days gone by, people would exchange gifts and enjoy parades and food and drink on the village green. Traditional dancing of the time would be around the Maypole. Historically the Maypole itself was said to be a sign of male fertility and the baskets and hampers were meant to signify female fertility and new birth.
Another traditional form of dance, often related to May Day is Morris dancing. There are differing opinions on the history of the dance but most are agreed that it was a form of folk dance with numerous styles across the different regions around the country, from clog dancing to sword dancing. It is now synonymous with May Day with the most common dress of the jingly bells, the hats and the sticks. Something so brilliantly British!
Spring bank holiday or the late May holiday, used to fall on the first Monday after Pentecost in the Christian calendar and was previously known as Whit Monday. It would have been in early June but for a change by the financial and banking industry in 1971 moving it to the last Monday in May. There are no real traditions to celebrate and so this late May holiday is typically one for families to relax and enjoy an extra day off and longer weekend.
With the warmer weather we can enjoy being outdoors or in the garden with friends and a few drinks. This is where if you’ve been paying attention the seeds from your Garden Gift Box will now be coming through!
We love an extra day off and several British events and festivities occur over the long weekends. The Gloucestershire cheese rolling contest! Stretching back over 200 years this event sees a huge 4kg roll of Gloucester cheese sent spinning down Coopers Hill, a steep hill in Brockworth where contestants race down to try to catch it! There are injuries every year and the event was officially banned in 2010 but volunteers are determined to keep the tradition going. The first to finish wins the cheese and the glory!
Our extra holiday this year on the 8th May celebrates the Kings Coronation. This will definitely go down in history and long may he reign.
Prepare for the time off. Plan your garden for the parties that are sure to be happening, BBQ's, drinks with family and friends and hopefully all under a hot sun!
Enjoy the break, whatever the weather,
Julie
