Majski bom - Maypole

Green trees and branches in May embody the spirits of growth that bring fertility and health to the village and into every house. May 1 can be found in many traditional calendars as a profound event in the course of the year. It is at the beginning of the six months of summer. Many people preserved the tradition to decorate house and home and other things with fresh green tree limbs for festive occasions. The fresh green tree stands in a particular way for reviving power. People broke twigs off the trees and took them home believing that these would bring luck. These green branches that were taken home were seen as a new change of life for everyone in the home. The maypole erected in the center of the village was seen as the tree of life for the whole village community. Therefore it was guarded faithfully. Many of these beliefs are outdated, but still live today in the peoples' minds. Until the 1940's of last century in the eastern part of Lower Lusatia the maypole was erected only on Pentecostal Sunday and cut on Midsummer's Day. The tree-trunk was auctioned and the money received was "drunk away" (spent on alcohol for everyone).

During the time of National Socialism people were ordered to erect the maypole on May 1 instead of Whitsun. After the war this date was not changed in many places of Lower Lusatia. Today in some regions the village youth erect the maypole the night before May 1 in the center of the village with a small ceremony. A green birch tree and one or two wreaths with colorful ribbons are attached to the top of a fully grown and decorated trunk. A green twisted garland embellishes the trunk from top to the bottom. A group of young men guard the maypole through the first night since today it is regarded as symbol for health and growth for the whole village. Furthermore, the youth of other villages try to cut the maypole or even steal it to bring humiliation and disgrace. If a maypole is stolen from a village then that village will not be allowed to erect a maypole in the following seven years. In other regions all villagers meet in the morning of May 1 to erect the maypole in the village green and celebrate the whole day. In contrast to Upper Lusatia, where the traditional "Falling of the maypole" takes place on a Sunday in May as a festival for the village, in Lower Lusatia the maypole does not fall until after Midsummer's day and then it is auctioned.