Helston Furry Dance
One of the most famous of all traditional British festivals is Floral or Flora Day or more correctly as the “Furry—from the Cornish “fer” (Latin feria), a fair, rejoicing holy day. The date of the festival coincides with the feast of the Apparition of St. Michael the archangel. Helston’s patron saint. The legend recounts that the first furry was danced to celebrate Michael’s deliverance from a boulder hurled at him during an altercation with Satan. However, it is quite possible that some of the fair’s activities are linked to far older celebrations that honored the Celtic Horned God in the guise of Robin Hood.
From the street dancing that takes place on this day, it is clear that the festival has become inextricably intermingled with May Day. The procession begins at noon with the furry dance. One hundred and fifty couples participate in the dance, which winds through the streets of town, gardens, and even homes that have left their doors open for the dancers. In the past, it was believed that the dancers would bring good luck and good fortune to the household as they passed through.
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