The view down to the river has changed drastically in the last few days. After a mini heatwave the apple trees are in full bloom, the birch and beech have turned green, and (almost) everything is looking fresh and full of life!
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Old English Proverb:
Ne’er cast a clout till May is out!
This is something I heard time and again as a child, and I have always understood it to mean the month of May, i.e. don’t take off too many layers of clothing until the end of May! (Clout is old English for a garment). However, it is also believed to mean “until the May is in blossom”, May being hawthorn (Weißdorn).
This second explanation for the proverb seems more logical to me, especially in this age of global warming, but it is probably only more appealing for its romanticism rather than its accuracy!
The May in the proverb actually does mean the month of May…
Well, we were in shorts and barefeet with temperatures of 30°C at the weekend. I fear we will need to rewrite some of our weather proverbs pretty soon…
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Today is May Day (National holiday/ Labour Day)
In this part of Germany, as in many other regions, the May tree stands on the village green.
Our village is so small, our May tree is not much to look at. (We don’t even have a village green!) However, some villages and towns have beautifully decorated maypoles. Here is a lovely example; the May tree on the Viktualienmarkt in the centre of Munich…
In Bavaria the May tree is usually the trunk of a tall evergreen, such as fir or spruce, which is renewed every year. The top of the trunk is not stripped of its small branches, and the trunk/pole is normally decorated with a white and blue ribbon wound around it (or is painted as in the picture). A crown is suspended with ribbons at the top, or sometimes lower down, and local businesses such as the carpenter, baker, butcher, brewery, etc. have a decorative sign which is attached to the May tree.
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Wild Apple Blossom
Have a lovely May Day everyone!
Very interesting!
Have a nice day Bonnie!
Ah, yes, May Day! I almost forgot!
Hope it’s a sunshiny day for you!
Beautiful pic on the apple blossom. Great use of light and shadow! Thanks for sharing.
Have a good 1st May!
You also friend!
I like this fresh green of May everywhere and the the first blossom of fruit-trees. In our garden lilac is in full bloom and sweetly scenting. What a wonderful day!
A lovely May Day to you, too, dear Cathy!
Thanks Elisabeth. The weather couldn’t be better! 🙂
Es ist eine herrliche Zeit, in der wir uns befinden. Alles blüht und strebt nach draußen. Dir wünsche ich auch einen schönen 1. Mai und viele weitere sommerlich-frühlingshafte Tage.
Liebe Grüsse – Uta
Danke Uta! A merry month of May! 🙂
Lovely photos…I had no idea about the May Trees and their signs. Really Cool!
The wild crabapple trees bust their blooms here this week, but my garden trees are still waiting…
Happy May Day!
They’ll be out before long! Perhaps it will be a good year for crabapple jelly? 😉
May is here! Thanks for sharing the beautiful photos!
Elaine
You’re welcome Elaine. Thanks for visiting!
Happy May day to you. i celebrate your apple blooms and love the shades of green of the hills.
Thank you. Yes, the greens are wonderful at the moment!
Happy May Day. Your photos are very nice 🙂 Judy
Thanks Judy. Nice of you to stop by! 🙂
Hi Cathy! I really enjoyed this post. So lovely. May is such a spectacular month. It is a wondeful time of year. Those Apple blossoms look inviting. So sweet and delicate. Happy May Day to you too! 🙂
Thanks for visiting Strawberryindigo! May certainly is a lovely month and I hope a happy one for you too. 🙂
Happy May Day to you too!
Thanks Simone! 😉