This year there was no stopping the celebrations, against all the odds the rain held off, the spring sun came out and once again Hastings played host to the spectacular May Day events. The Jack-in-the-Green Festival has turned the weekend into one of the most important and hotly anticipated dates on the town’s calendar and this year it was one to remember.
For those who aren’t aware the first of May is the start of the United Kingdom’s summer and has always been celebrated. During their occupation, the Romans dedicated the day to the Goddess Flora and would cut down trees and decorate them with ribbons and flowers.
In the 16th and 17th centuries people developed this practice by making garlands of flowers and leaves for the May Day celebration. Over the years, these garlands became more and more elaborate and competitive, with people trying to outdo each other. By the late 18th century, the Chimney Sweeps’ garland became a costume character known as "Jack-in-the-Green".
In Hastings there were at least two groups who paraded a Jack-in-the- Green until about 1889. Shortly after this the celebrations were stopped because of the Victorian’s dislike of drunken and promiscuous behaviour and a parliamentary act preventing the boys from working as chimney sweeps (the procession’s main performers) But in 1983, the Hastings celebrations were revived by our local group Mad Jacks Morris Dancers and since then celebrations have continued in the town with more and more people getting involved.
This year in a wonderful array of colour and movement, an unbroken stream of dancers, drummers and performers made their way through the narrow streets of the Old Town, across the seafront and up to the historic hilltop remains of the Castle. Here the Jack was traditionally and symbolically slain and the spirit of the summer released in a ceremony that was enjoyed by thousands of people.
A huge amount of visitors came to the town. The weather brought tens of thousands of bikers from all over the UK and even Europe. The weekend really shows Hastings off at its very best- a friendly, lively, great place to live. It was great to see such a big event pass by so peacefully, with so many people enjoying themselves and no trouble being caused. Due to the popularity of the May Bank Holiday celebrations Hastings Borough Council was able to invest more money in the events this year which enabled the construction of a special bridge between Ladies Parlour and Hastings Castle. This provided a safe venue for up to 5,000 visitors to the Castle which allowed many more visitors to see the climax of the weekend.
Included in the weekend’s events Hastings Borough Council set off a spectacular fireworks display on Sunday, May 1 from the Castle. The explosive display was put together by Hastings' very own fireworks experts, Renegade Pyrotechnics and could be seen from all aspects of the town. Council leader Jeremy Birch said:
"There are a lot of people who put a lot of time and effort in to the May Bank Holiday celebrations and all their hard work is really appreciated when you see how many people are here to enjoy it. It remains one of the most popular events in the town"
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This page last updated: 22/06/2005