Jack in the Green, Hastings

Every May Day weekend, the good folk of Hastings daub themselves with green paint, cover themselves in leaves and take to the streets to celebrate the coming of summer.

There are drummers everywhere, dancing giants, chimney sweeps (?) and processions, all culminating in the ritual killing of the Jack – the main guy in all of this – whose liberated soul releases the spirit of summer. It’s just a bonkers knees-up of course, and a very noisy one at that…

May Day weekend // Hastings