Mayday Maypole Dance

I watched a really neat Maypole dance on Victoria Day, in Burnaby Village Museum. The children did a fantastic job; I was impressed! If you look at the top of the pole in the first photo, and then look at the top of the pole in the following photos, you'll see a ribbon weave forming. It goes down for about 12" or so, then the children dance in reverse and undo the weave. It's fascinating. One boy (wearing a white shirt) had his ribbon break off, so he calmly wrapped it up while weaving in and out of the dancers, and kept on dancing as if he was still holding it! You can see him in the last photo.

New Westminster has the largest continuous running Maypole dance outside of England. New Westminster is 150 years old this year, and Queen Victoria named the city, which used to be the capital of British Columbia, from 1859 - 1866, when Victoria on Vancouver Island was voted as the capital.

The Maypole dance takes place on the Wednesday of the Hyack Festival week in the middle of May. I didn't get a chance to go this year, due to rain, so the above dance in Burnaby will have to suffice for me! I love traditions.