A few years back, I had dinner at the house of a couple who told me that before braising a roast, they always cut the top off. They didn't know why they did it, they just did it, having followed the roast preparation protocol the husband grew up with. When the wife finally asked her mother-in-law why she cut the top off her roasts before cooking them, the mother-in-law's reply was very revealing, "So it fits in the pot with the lid on."

Such are the origins of many of our habits and ultimately, traditions. We often don't think about why we follow certain ones, we just do because that's what we've learned or that's the way it's always been done. Traditions become habits and vice versa. The original meaning and purpose gets lost with time, but traditions are followed because they give a sense of identity; familiar and comforting.

The Maypole Dance is one such tradition. The symbolism of the maypole has been continuously debated by folklorists for centuries and no one agrees. To some scholars, maypoles are symbols of the world axis (axis mundi). The fact they originated primarily in areas of Germanic Europe where, prior to Christianity, various forms of Germanic paganism were followed, has led to speculation that the maypoles were in some way a continuation of a Germanic pagan tradition. Given the nature of dancing in a circle around a pole, this tradition reflects on the cyclical symbolism of seasons; so the maypole might be a celebration of the return to spring and fertility. And, adding to that, the Freudian-minded have their own theories to add.

My favorite theory, however; holds that maypoles were a remnant of the Germanic reverence for sacred trees, because there is evidence for various sacred trees and wooden pillars that were venerated by the pagans across much of Germanic Europe, including Thor's Oak and the Irminsul. In Norse paganism, cosmological views held that the universe was a world tree, known as Yggdrasil. Therefore, there is speculation that the maypole was once a continuance of this tradition. With this in mind, perhaps Arbor Day should be held on May 1st, not April 24th.

Which brings up another point. In Sweden, the maypole is really the midsummer pole which is when their celebrations occur. Also, the styles of poles vary among different cultures, some reflecting the Christian cross while other styles look more like a flag pole.