May is one of my favourite months, with its promise of summer and longer days. I always wanted to be a May bride and I was - an extremely windy May day when my veil nearly took off and a guest lost their hat over the side of a cliff! The birthstone for this month is the beautiful emerald. Their deep green a symbol of new beginnings and nature.The verse from the Gregorian poem goes with this nicely, although my engagement ring was not an emerald.
Who first beholds the light of day
In spring's sweet, flower month of May
And wears an Emerald all her life
Shall be a loved and a loving wife.
May is often a time for traditional festivals. My local town is famous for Flora Day held on the 8th.
This Spring festival celebrates the end of winter and the arrival of new vitality and fertility. Houses and shops are decorated with greenary, yellow gorse and bluebells. It looks wonderful. The dancers and many of the crowds wear sprigs of Lily of the Valley too. Lily of the Valley is often considered to be the birth flower for May.
For a snippet of this festival click
HERE to be redirected to a You Tube clip showing the Midday dance. The ladies wear long dresses and the men top hat and tails. There are several dances throughout the day starting at 7am and finishing at 5pm. Local school children dance through the streets in white. The sound of the band playing the familiar tune vibrates through your head by the end of the day but it is an amazing spectacle that brings the whole community together.
Bluebells in the woods
Or how about a bit of
cheese rolling in Gloucestershire. It looks quite dangerous to me!
Emerald, the Birthstone Unicorn, is involved in a special festival this month. Click on the tab at the top of the page if you want to read a short extract from her story.
Happy Birthday to all born this month