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Midsummer Madness

© Kimberly Moore.

The Wheel of the Year keeps turning, and in a few days we will be in the Sabbat of Litha. Litha is the celebration of the summer solstice. The goddess is at her peak, and the woodland sun king is in his prime. This is not only a traditional time for handfastings, but a time for fun and celebration.

In times past, Morris dancers would travel from village to village doing their dances at festival times. Outdoor festivals and dances would be held in each village across England from Mayday til hravest time. With the advent of Christianity, Morris dancing became restricted to approved Mayday and harvest time festivals, but as with other revivals, it is acceptable to go farther back into the mists of time and use it as it once was. It is not uncommon in England for Morris Ddancers to appear at various muncipal celebrations and festivals to the delight of children and adults.

This is a holiday that can be a lot of fun with children, as well as a learning opportunity. Plan your own festival. Bring out the barbecue, and go to the park. Read up on Morris dancing and help your child design a simple costume with the traditional bells at the knees. Bring along a portable stereo and play traditional folk music, and eat, drink, dance , and be merry.

Traditional foods for this holiday include pumpernickel bread, which is great for sandwiches, summer fruits so please remember your lucious strawberries and melons, and seasonal vegetables (did anyone say coleslaw?). Traditional woods for the seaason include oak and pine, so toss on some oak chips to smoke your barbecue. Lemon is a tradition herb for the holiday, so if grilling fish, be sure to use lemon as a seasoning. Ale and mead are the traditional beverages, and I urge you to remember caution with these beverages if driving, or to appoint a designated driver.

If setting up an altar for ritual during the holiday celebrations, or if you wish to use the traditional altar decorations as table centerpieces, summer fruits and flowers are the usual thing, with wisteria, roses, larkspur, and male fern being popular choices.

So, with just a little preparation, you can eat, drink, and (Morris) dance your way to a fun celebration that the entire family can enjoy. To find out more about Morris Dancing, I recommend visting Ishmael on Morris Dancing, located at http://www.mit.edu:8001/people/ijs/morri...

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