How to | Make an Osterbaum

Osterbaums (or Easter trees) originated in Germany but they’re so easy to make and look very cheerful. All the fun of a Christmas Tree with none of the logistical difficulties!

1. Forage for some thin branches, around 50cm each. Willow is used traditionally, but you can work with what you have. A few stems of blossom will look lovely amongst barer twigs, or you could buy pussy willow, birch twigs or similar at a florist’s.

2. Arrange the twigs in a large jug, using large pebbles and stones to weigh it down (subtle use of Blu Tack will not be judged).

3. Decoration time! You can buy Easter decorations such as eggs or bunnies but you can also make them with air-dry clay. Simply poke holes in with a skewer and thread ribbon through, before painting in spring shades. Hang on your twigs as if decorating a Christmas tree.

4. Add finishing touches. Tiny battery-operated fairy lights can be woven through and the battery pack hidden in the jug. Thin pieces of ribbon tied to the twigs also looks pretty.

5. Finally, place it somewhere it will catch visitors’ attention and bring a bit of spring to your home.

This mini project is taken from our April issue’s Miscellany pages, where you’ll always find seasonal facts and fun.

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Folk | The Magic of Maypole Ribbons

Maypoles are surely one of the more colourful and quirky of our folk traditions, but is there meaning and method in the May madness and what do those coloured ribbons symbolise?

One of the most British of sights is surely that of multicoloured ribbons, fluttering and being plaited around a Maypole under a blue late spring sky. Maypoles are imbued with a rich history of symbolism, as you might imagine. Folklorists argue about whether the phallic shape of the pole is in fact a symbol of male virility. We couldn’t possibly comment, but it would make sense if you believe, as many do, that the wreath of flowers that tops many poles is representative of female fertility. 

While the poles have been around for many centuries, the ribbons that adorn many a Maypole now were a later addition, some say they arrived post-Restoration, some time in the mid 18th-Century, others say it was the Victorians who added them. Whoever we have to thank, the ribbons are there not only to flutter prettily in the breeze but to be held by the dancers who go round and round the Maypole, plaiting the ribbons into pretty patterns as they go, until they are all neatly tied to the pole. They then repeat the steps in reverse to unwind them, which is said to symbolise the lengthening of the days, as the ribbons are freed and become longer again. 

Maypole ribbons come in many and various colours. Red and white is said to represent the ‘earthly’ and the ‘divine’, but various towns and villages choose their colours for various reasons. 

Some Maypoles use colours to represent the season and the harvest to come: gold for the sun, green for the leaves and vines and purple for grapes (and hopefully wine). As the dancers weave the ribbons together, it’s hoped they act as a prayer for all these elements to work together in harmony and produce a good crop. The dance itself is a symbol of the villagers working together as they will work later in the year to bring the harvest in. 

Other Maypoles are simply a celebration of spring, with green for growth, yellow for light and blues and reds for flowers. Pink and purple are said to symbolise feminine sweetness and also power. 

Our blog was inspired by our May issue ‘Modern Eccentrics’ feature on folk dancers by Johanna Derry Hall with photography by Jonathan Cherry. It starts on page 14 of the May ‘Folk’ issue and is in shops now. 

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