Comparative Ethnological Study of the Syncretization of Folk Customs and Human-Initiated Religions Based on a Survey of May Day Festivals in France and the United Kingdom

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In this follow-up survey of traditional customs in May Day Festivals, such as the maypole and the selection of a May Queen which are described in Le folklore francais(1949) by A. V. Gennep, it was found that some places no longer practice these customs while other areas continue to. A total of four places in France, including Provence, continue to hold the events and it was observed that the involvement of a certain charismatic individual was central to event survival. The syncretization of folk customs and saint veneration was also noted in the dynamics of event continuation. In Southwest England, May festivities such as hobbyhorse festivals are still held today. Its mixture of sacred and secular elements, including the development of the event as a tourist attraction, was seen as a contrast between the UK and France.