Raising the maypoles is one of the most beautiful Slovak folk traditions. May – often called the month of love – is when nature is in full bloom and animals give birth to their young.
In Vlkolínec, maypoles were always put up on the first Sunday of May. The day before, on Saturday afternoon, young men would head into the forest to chop down spruce trees about ten metres tall. They left a few branches at the very top, but trimmed the rest and even stripped the bark. The poles were only brought back to the village after dusk. Then the lads ate scrambled eggs, drank pálenka (fruit brandy), and spent the evening decorating the maypoles with colourful ribbons until late at night.
After ten in the evening, the entire procession, accompanied by musicians and singing, made its way into the village. Maypoles were raised for every unmarried girl over fourteen. The largest stood in the centre of Vlkolínec. Along the route, farmers offered the young men bread, bacon, sausage, and more pálenka. By the time they were done, the night had already slipped into Sunday.
Sunday morning found everyone admiring the splendid maypoles, discussing which was the most beautiful and which stood the tallest.
In the afternoon, the young men toured every home, dancing with all the women and collecting small rewards along the way. Finally, the majáles itself – the May festival – was held in the fire brigade’s storage building. The lads had to dance with every girl, and the celebration lasted until midnight.
