Happy May!

The trees are finally leafed out, everything is in bloom, and we just had 5 (!) days of glorious sunshine. Today the cloudy skies and rain returned, but it's still mild and everything is beautifully green.

I learned about a May tradition in Germany, the Maibaum (May tree or Maypole), which celebrates the first day of May. I didn't know about it until after May 1st, when we saw colorfully decorated branches and trees all over our neighborhood.

In Bavaria, they celebrate May Day with maypole dances (including the famous maypole at the Viktualenmarkt in Munich), but (as far as I know) in this region the celebration is a bit more personal. According to my sources, young men decorate branches outside the homes or shops of young women they admire, sometimes tying love notes onto the trees. But, like Valentine's Day, I believe that this tradition now includes trees from more than just potential beaus. Either way, it is fun to walk around town and see all these colorful tokens of love on the street.