May Day: May 1, 2024

In 16th century England, the villagers went out early on a May morning to gather flowers and Hawthorne branches.  Afterwards, they ate on the village green, crowned a Queen of the celebration and danced around a maypole commemorating the victory of spring over winter.

A May Queen reigned over the festivities, the most honored guest.  The May Queen is selected from a court of senior girls, who are chosen by their peers.

The villagers brought in the May, consisting of flowers and greenery from the woods.  Flowers were used to decorate houses, hoops and wreaths, and to honor the May Queen.  The prekindergarten will honor our newly crowned queen.

Each year, we honor our lifers - the members of the senior class who have attended Pembroke Hill since Kindergarten.

Dances were a popular part of all May Day festivals.  The simplest form of country dances was called a round.  These circle dancees start to the left, the direction of the sun.  The Waltz of the Flowers became a traditional dance at Sunset Hill's May Day in 1957.  Originally, members of the senior class danced in honor of the May Queen and in celebration of the Spring.  Members of fourth and fifth grade now perpetuate the tradition with beautifully decorated hoops.  The Maypole has been the center of May Day revelry since its early beginnings.  Fifth grade and members of the senior class celebrate this tradition, winding the Maypole.