May
Birthstone – Emerald
Flower – Lily of the Valley
Sign of the zodiac – Taurus – April 20 to May 20
]]>The hobby horse of Minehead, which some call a ship horse, comes out on the evening of April 30th and at sunrise on May Day.
It visits Dunster Castle in the evening, and can be seen for two following evenings.
The ’ship-horse’ consists of a wooden frame about ten feet long which a man carries on his shoulders. The rest of his body is hidden from view by the canvas hanging from the frame. The material is decorated with circles of different colours and coloured ribbons cover the upper part.
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]]>The obby oss (hobby horse) is a very strange site, being a man enveloped in a wooden hoop, six feet in diameter and draped in black tarpaulin. There is a small horse’s head on the front of the frame and a wispy tail behind. The real head of the animal though is a devilish mask, with a cruel snapping beak, hanging tongue and tufts of fur. Surmounting the mask is a black and white pointed hat with the inscription O B on it. This is a simplified version of ‘Obby.’
It emerges from the Golden Lion pub on May Day morning.
]]>This annual cheese rolling event is free for anyone to take part in or watch, other than a £5 car parking fee, which covers the costs of the cheeses etc.
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