The practice has its roots in ancient pagan traditions that were persecuted by the Puritans.

While I had vaguely heard of the Maypole dance over the years, the first one I experienced in person involved schoolchildren in Brooklyn’s Prospect Park. My son had enrolled as a fifth grader in ...

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The author with friends at a Beltane celebration, featuring a Maypole (Photo: Emily Guenther) Beltane is a holiday celebrated by many Earth-based spiritual traditions. It falls on May 1st and is ...

Stephanie Block picks out flowers for a crown during La Primavera Festival, a spring celebration at Marjorie Park on Saturday, April 25, 2026. The festival included flower crowns, a maypole dance, and ...

TRADITIONALLY, on May 1 communities perform a maypole dance, around a tall pole hung with ribbons that are woven into patterns by the dancers. Such dances are survivals of ancient dances around a tree ...