Dancing around the Maypole to the tunes of the Carnival
Dancing around the Maypole constitutes part of a folklore festival and dates back to various centuries. We see it across European countries and especially in rural areas and it symbolizes the love and peace among people.
It is one of the few customs that are strongly maintained in various parts of Greece and it is absolutely suitable to the colorful and fun spirit of the feast of the Carnival.
The Maypole is called “gaitanaki” in Greek and it was brought over from Asia Minor by the Greek refugees as part of the exchange of populations scheme. The custom of the Maypole really matched the other local customs and people immediately became very fond of this playful dancing!
The dance of the “gaitanaki” needs thirteen participants where one of them holds the wooden pole in the middle from which stream twelve long and differently colored ribbons (the number of ribbons may vary).
Twelve dancers stand around the main pole and hold a ribbon each, dancing in couples to the tunes of folkloric musics. As they move around the pole, the couples exchange dance partners and, thus, cause the ribbons to weave between them creating different chromatic combinations.
When all the ribbons are wrapped around the pole causing the dancers to dance closer and closer to the pole, the dance finishes and the Maypole acquires a colourful appearance to match the spirit of the Carnival.
This circular dance, possibly connotes the circle of life. From happiness to sadness, from winter to spring, from life to death and vice versa.
