Erster Mai

It feels like in these last 7 days, Noah and I have gone through our Bavarian initiation.  We spent a hot day by the Isar River with thousands of other locals, we took the dogs and explored the Tierpark (zoo), we experienced a traditional May Day watching a new Maypole get raised, and we spent an evening in our lederhosen and dirndl at Frühlingsfest. 

This blog I am focusing on May Day, and we’ll put another one up for Frühlingsfest later. 

In 1919 May 1^st was declared a public holiday in Germany (thanks government!).  This is the day that the Maibaum/Maypole is put up in a ceremony called the Maibaumaufstellen.  And this isn’t something you dance around with ribbons (or at least not these days in Munich).  And of course in Munich, things have a Bavarian twist to the Maypole.  Here, it is tradition to cut a tall tree a few days/weeks before May 1^st.  In Laim, the Maypole was cut from the Christmas tree at Marienplatz.  It is decorated with the Bavarian colors of blue and white, and symbols of the local trades are attached to it.  

Another Bavarian tradition is to try to steal the Maypole from a neighboring town, and hold it for ‘ransom’ – usually a few kegs of beer.  Noah and I actually saw one of these ‘thefts’.  There was a group of young men in their lederhosen hauling the Laim Maypole up a major street by the train station.  It was resting on 2 wagons full of beer, and from the looks of it much of it was already consumed.

We learned that Maypoles are replaced only every 5 years, so luckily this was year 5 for Pasing (1 train station down from us, and where Noah’s aunt Ellen and uncle Rüdiger live).  And they were raising their Maypole the traditional way – by hand (which can take 2+ hours, assuming the pole doesn’t fall).  Laim was using a crane, sadly.  We arrived about 1 hour into the process, and the Maypole was in this condition:

We watched as groups of men pushed each support beam forward about 6 inches every minute or so.  Let me tell you, it didn’t look easy, or quick.  You can see here how many people had to hold each beam. 

After about another hour or so, the Maypole was up!

Now it was time to celebrate, led by this tiny Bavarian man:

He would say a few words, raise up his sword, and signal for the gun salute.

There was also men who had some whips, which may not sound very cool, but it was.  And you don’t have to take my word for it – watch the video.  It is about 30 seconds, and shows one of the heaves of the Maypole, the whips, and the gun salute.    

All in all, it was a pretty amazing thing to watch.  And it really makes you appreciate how our ancestors had to construct buildings back in the day.  That’s it for now – I’ll have the oompapa band see you out!