Every year on May 1st Oxford locals gather to celebrate May Day, a Pagan tradition dating back over 500 years. The celebration starts at 6am with a hymn, sung by the Magdalen College Choir from the top of Magdalen Tower, followed by morris dancing, drinking and singing all over the city centre to celebrate the arrival of spring.
This year, I attended the celebrations to capture the vibrant, lively and very flowery atmosphere of the day. Along-side the Morris men with their sticks, bells and handkerchiefs, you may catch sight of the ‘Jack’ or the ‘Jack-in-the-Green’ which was introduced to May Morning displays by the Oxford University Morris Men in 1951. The ‘Jack’ is a bush with someone inside its wicker frame and it can often be seen wandering around the city centre in the morning hours of May 1st.
We are always keen to get involved in the local events around Oxfordshire, visit our Event Photography page to find out more.
