May Day in the UK is said to have started as a pagan holy day or festival celebrating spring and the end of the dark days of winter in the northern hemisphere.
Many villages across the country will be celebrating May Day with maypole dancing and the crowning of the Queen of the May. Here in Dorset we have our own truly unique May Day celebration – the ancient ritual of dancing at the site of the Cerne Abbas Giant to welcome in the spring.The Cerne Abbas Giant is a 180 foot man carved into the chalk rock and he’s believed to be an ancient fertility symbol with the power to help childless couples to conceive.
As dawn breaks on the 1st May, people (including the Wessex Morris Men) will dance on the giant and then gradually wend their way down to the village of Cerne Abbas to dance in the village square.
The dancing at the Cerne Abbas Giant starts at approximately 5.15am and continues for about half an hour.
In Cattistock, on the 1st May, we also have another unusual and unique celebration – the world famous Dorset Knob Throwing competition! The Dorset Knob is a traditional type of Dorset bread, a bit like a biscuit. “The Festival will run from 10am until 4.00pm and besides Knob Throwing there will be additional fun knob attractions including Knob Eating, Knob Painting, a Knob & Spoon Race, Guess the weight of the Big Knob, Knob Darts and a Knob Pyramid. Other traditional entertainment will also be laid on to make this a really enjoyable day out with a difference.”
For a warm welcome and a delightful sustainable holiday in the beautiful county of Dorset, please contact us to book accommodation.