May in a Day, Cecil Sharp House

Unleash your inner pagan this spring with May in a Day Family Festival. The joyous celebration of spring traditions includes maypole dancing, Morris dancing and live music. For those that aren’t au fait with these funny folk traditions, maypole and Morris dancing are the traditional way to celebrate the first of May. The dancing involves plenty of ribbons, skipping, bells and rhythmic stamping (you sort of have to see it to understand). These traditionally English rites of spring are rarely seen now, especially in London. This is a charming way to celebrate the new life and hope symbolised by spring.

If you don’t fancy joining in with the dancing there’s also an abundance of crafty activities and storytelling. This year’s festivities are woven around a textiles theme as a part of Cecil Sharp House’s new commission to uncover the abundance of folk songs about fabric. So expect to try out stitching, weaving and felting too. Organised by the English Folk Dance and Song Society, the festival showcases some of the most talented folk musicians and dancers. This is a great way to celebrate spring and reconnect with ancient pagan traditions, in a vibrant atmosphere, where people of all ages are encouraged to join in with the fun.