Raising the Maypole
On May 1st (sometimes on the first Sunday in May), maypoles, sometimes as high as 15 m (50 ft), are erected in village squares and at country inns. The actual lifting of the huge pole into a secure shaft in the ground is no easy matter and calls for over a couple dozen Lederhosen-clad men, each armed with two long rods tied together with rope at one end. The sticks are used to lift the maypole higher and higher, and during the compulsory beer-drinking breaks, to support it in mid-air.