Most modern-day maypoles are spruce trees with their branches and bark removed except near the very top. Most are decorated with ribbons and other ornaments.
The tradition of using branches in late spring dates back to Pagan times; according to records, the current form probably emerged in the 15th century. The poles originally served as a celebration of spring, but with the advent of Christianity, some of the associated practices were reinterpreted, and the maypoles came to be associated with St. George’s Day and Pentecost. They also marked the beginning of medieval jousting tournaments, which were typically held in late spring and early summer. By the 17th century, maypoles were widespread throughout the Slovenian Lands; they were even described by the polymath Johannes Weichert Valvasor.
According to scholar Gorazd Makarovič, the tradition of maypoles was initially limited to the elites but eventually spread to ordinary people and became common across the countryside. In some areas, smaller maypoles were carried in parades, but high maypoles, usually erected by the sides of major roads, emerged as the most popular.
In the period of Slovenian national awakening in the late 19th and the early 20th centuries, the maypoles were frequently decorated with patriotic elements, particularly Slovenian national flags. After World War II, the maypoles became closely associated with May Day, the International Day of Workers.
No longer seen as political symbols, maypoles are more common in Slovenia than ever before. They are now even erected to celebrate anniversaries and birthdays, often with speed limit signs to mark the year being celebrated – a typically Slovenian take on an ancient Pagan tradition.
