As expected, the day of the May Day celebration and parade dawned clear, beautiful and COLD. Fortunately, by the time we assembled the children at the assigned meeting place it had warmed up to the point that the various fairy and elf costumes didn't have to be covered with unsightly and distinctly unmagic coats. JiaJia did a sort of half and half thing - a hip ensemble from Target with fairy wings and lilac blossoms in her hair. It was, well, interesting.As it happened, our meeting spot was at the bottom of German Street whereas the staging area for the parade was at the top of German Street. It was an exercise not unlike herding cats getting a group of wildly excited four year olds from one end of the street to the other (about four blocks but all uphill). The street was already closed off, thank heavens, so at least we didn't have to worry about anyone getting run over because they were completely crazy by the time we got to our spot in the parade line.
Then we waited...and waited...and waited...
About one second before we finally took off JiaJia decided she wasn't going to walk but we were saved by WeiWei's mother, who had a wagon. My first parade experience ever was dragging a very heavy little fairy down the street in a red wagon although I suppose it could have been worse. At one point I looked back at her and saw she had positioned herself not unlike a beauty queen, with legs just so and was waving at the assembled multitudes. At any rate, we made it to the end of the line and met up with Daddy, Laura and Auntie M to watch the rest of the parade. Sadly, since I was pulling her highness in the wagon I didn't get any pictures but suffice it to say it was quite an event.
The parade was led by the Green Man accompanied by a lady playing Spring. Now keep in mind that the same gal has been playing Spring in the parade since we've lived up here so she's probably a little more like late Summer by now but she did a good job of it, all swathed in flowers and flowing draperies. The guy who plays the Green Man takes it VERY seriously. He's already of quite imposing size and wears a green robe with an elaborate mask of carved leaves and a wooden staff. Quite a sight. The Green Man and his consort were followed by many troups of Morris dancers and traditional musicians (including bagpipers!), some community groups (of which the River School was one), the girls with the Maypole, and finally, as will only happen in a small, weird town like this, a group of people walking their dogs. This would have been sort of normal except that the dogs, not the owners, were in costume. I really wish I had a picture of that one but Auntie M has decreed that next year she and Rosie will be marching along. I will definitely capture that performance in picture.
We didn't stick around for the Maypole dance as the kids were hungry and fractious so we capped our traditional English/pagan celebration with a Thai lunch. Only in America.
We are now excitedly preparing for a visit from our friends from New York who adopted their daughter at the same time as we adopted Laura. We shared a wonderful trip to China with them and have stayed in loose contact since. Last time we saw them they hosted us and we spent a fun day in New York City so this time they're coming here to get a taste of small town life. The kids will run wild, the adults will cook, eat and drink. It promises to be a very fun time.
Posts
