Coming from
Greifswald, a town in the north east of Germany, where the most
exciting festivity is the yearly Christmas market, I was immediately
drawn to the various Cornish festivals that seem to take place on a
month to month basis. People in Cornwall just love to celebrate their
heritage, traditions and culture. Luckily, I am fortunate enough to
be able to visit a few of those, from Flora Day in Helston to the
Fish Festival in Newlyn and the winter solstice celebrations during
the Montol Festival in Penzance. One of my all time favourites though
has to be Mazey Day which is part of the week long Golowan
Festivities taking place every year at the end of June in Penzance.
I
experienced my very first Mazey Day just last year and it left a huge
impression on me. It is therefore no surprise that I am eagerly
anticipating this year's Mazey Day which takes place on Saturday,
28th of June. You might be wondering by now what Mazey Day is and why
I and tens of thousands of other visitors each year are mesmerised by
it.
First
of all, it is a family centred festivity which suits everyone from
the very young to the very old. I took my five month old baby last
year, carrying him in a pouch, taking in the unique atmosphere and he
absolutely loved it. Secondly, the local community gets heavily
involved in Mazey Day. Months before the event, local schools start
building giant paper sculptures which are all based on a local theme.
All the year six students spend the last few weeks of their final
primary school days working on their sculptures. On Mazey Day, the
year six classes and their teachers then carry their paper giants as
part of a colourful parade through town. I loved watching the
children participating in the procession as they were all very proud
- and rightly so - of what they had achieved. Personally I think it
is just a wonderful way of sending children off to secondary school.
Another
reason for Mazey Day’s increasing popularity is its location. The
parade takes place in Penzance which is not only the most westerly
town in Cornwall but also provides stunning views of the famous St
Michael's Mount. Most of the narrow lanes which wind their way
through town are beautifully decorated and filled with unique market
stalls, workshops and craft stores. The reason why I believe Penzance
enhances the overall experience of Mazey Day is because it also
offers visitors the chance to press the pause button and take a break
from the hustle and bustle of the parade. Throughout town, people can
find gardens in various sizes. They are the ideal spot for a great
picnic, most preferably with a delicious Cornish pasty. Once tummies
have been refilled and strength regained, more processions are
waiting to be enjoyed.
In
total, there will be four processions this year. The school parades
will take place at 11am, 1pm and 3pm. Most schools will participate
in the 11am parade. I therefore highly recommend watching this
procession as some schools will not attend the afternoon sessions. At
4.45pm, a men and maids procession will wind its way down to Market
Jew Street which is the main road in Penzance. After 5pm the majority
of families head home just in time for dinner. As of today, I cannot
comment on the evening events but I have been told that it is well
worth staying longer if you can.
If you are
looking for a unique way to celebrate and would like to enjoy a
community led festival, I can only encourage you to come down to
Penzance and soak up the unique atmosphere of Mazey Day. Once you
have experienced it, you will never forget it.
-End-
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