If you are at my place for a private German course, nothing beats adding a pinch of pure Bavarian culture and dropping by the Laimer Anger, it is only a 5-minute walk away.

The Maibaum (Maypole) is a big folk festival on 1 May, particularly in Baden-Württemberg, Bayern and Austria.

[su_frame]Bavarian traditions, Maypole in Laim, Munich[/su_frame]The symbol of this festival is precisely the Maibaum, this decorated wooden trunk several metres long that is raised on 1 May and is the symbol of the new season and its promises of abundance.

Around it, the party is in full swing, everyone is in a great bustle, many wear their traditional outfits, Dirndl (the women’s dress) and Lederhosen (the leather trousers reaching down to the knee) take centre stage.

In Bavaria, white and blue ribbons flutter around the trunk of the Maibaum, these are the colours of Bavaria; in addition, on its pegs stand out the emblems of the local craft associations.

The festival is accompanied by the notes of wind instruments (Blasmusik).

At the stalls and kiosks built for the occasion, food and mugs of beer flow in rivers.

In Bavaria, many small villages have their own Maibaum. In the city of Munich, the more traditional districts have theirs.

In my district, Laim, this year a Maibaum will be erected at the Laimer Anger (see it on Google Maps).

After much controversy, on one side those who argued that a Maibaum is not something for a big city, on the other those who proudly demanded a sign of the importance of their historic district Laim, it was decided that Laim will have its Maibaum at the Laimer Anger starting from 1 May.

For anyone interested in the traditions of Bavaria, a visit to the festival is certainly an opportunity not to be missed.

The tree will be pulled up by muscle power and decorated by volunteers during the festival. The public will follow the preparations, and only the toughest among the “true” Bavarians and the “adopted” ones will manage to make it to the end of the evening, maybe a bit tipsy but still standing.