Traditions

A couple of pictures that illustrate English traditions to me in different ways… The first is of the recent bluebells up the road at Crab Wood – 200 acres of ancient English woodland.  There are plenty of myths and legends about this place and it’s really special – as were the bluebells this year!  Just spectacular! When we lived abroad, the bluebells were one thing that we always managed to time our visits back for.  Not intentionally, but we tended to arrive back around the time of my parent’s birthdays which coincide with the season.  In turn, it has become one of our traditions to see them, and now we don’t have to travel that far!

The second picture was taken on Saturday at Mayfest in Winchester when the city was full of groups of Morris Dancers.   We didn’t watch for long but was nice to see them and listen to the music of long-ago England.   I could see most of the audience loved it, but I heard the odd disparaging comment about the costumes and clacking of sticks etc (I am just glad I didn’t spot one of their hobby horses, they used to petrify me as a child!).  I think there’s a lot more to it than the costumes and dancing though.  I don’t know if I appreciate seeing these things more now having experienced the extent other countries go to to celebrate their heritages,  but I made the effort to explain to the six-year-old why it was special, that the music and dancing had been sung/danced for centuries, and told the stories of nature and the seasons (in this case the banishing of Winter and the return to Spring and Summer).   And, as little children tend to do with these kinds of things, he accepted it, then asked if we would see it next year…