Saturday 5 May 2007

Ligawan (Courting) Ala Aleman with a Maibaum




Yes, there is such thing as ligawan in Germany
even if we hear many interesting things about
the 'unromantic' Teutonics, but I would add some
German guys to avoid massive protests from
Pinay friends who would delare their boyfriends,
partners or husbands are exceptions to the rule...
ooops cliché.

Was doing a mini powerwalk this morning when I passed by my
neighbor's house and saw this huge decorated Maibaum out of
a birch tree standing in front of their so-called Reihenhaus.
Reihenhaus means residences or houses built in a row.

Pausing to look at the Maibaum, I realized that
my neigbor's teen-aged daughter must have now a suitor
who wishes to declare his love through this Maibaum or maypole
decorated with colorful paper bands which reminded
me of decorative papers back home we called 'papel
de Japon'. I wonder how these papers are now named. Papel
de China? Papel de Globalization?

Or she must have a boyfriend as I can not imagine that
young guy ordering this huge birch tree taking all that
trouble without a secured collateral. Or is this Maibaum
a joint project of her admirers to share costing?

If this would be a tradition back home, I could imagine
that in the courting time of my older sister, she would have
had a forestry in front of our house. And during the
wooing tradition time of my grandmother, her best suitor
would have had enough trees to chop for his 'paninilbihan' or
courting service before the wedding.

But don't you get wild imagination that German Romeos
would personally chop, fetch and put a Maibaum
in front of the house of their 'inamorata.' Tree chopping
is naturally verboten, and maypoles like many other
commodities could be ordered in all sizes for fast
delivery and well, for lack of the right verb...
erection on the eve of May 1.

Note: Maibaum photo with a woman is taken
from website of WDR.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Hi! no, my husband did not erect a Maibaum but he erected something
different...Your husband did?
Careful for the Windboen!

Solana