A maypole is a tall wooden pole erected as a part of various European folk festivals, around which a maypole dance often takes place. The festivals may occur on May 1st or Pentecost, although in some countries it is instead erected at Midsummer.

What does the maypole symbolize?

The Meaning of the Maypole

Originally, the maypole was a living tree. Over time it usually became a tree trunk of the correct height, age, and type (usually pine or birch). Some say that the tree represented masculine energy, and the ribbons and floral garlands that adorned it represented feminine energy.

Why is it called a maypole?

Though the origin of the practice of wrapping a tall pole in ribbon and woven tree branches is difficult to pin to a specific time and place, historians agree that the Maypole began as a part of the Pagan May Day festival known as Beltane in the UK and Ireland and Walpurgis in Germanic European countries.