I grew up seeing my friends hiding the gifts which they received from their boyfriends. Parents in India, if find a gift like a heart or teddy with their daughter, will probably kill her with rage and further restrictions.

Early this month in Germany, I saw guys putting a huge tree as a symbol of love in front of their girlfriend’s house. So not only the parents, even the entire neighborhood will come to know that the girl in the house is dating somebody.

And when I am saying a tree, I mean a tall tree like 20 meters. Here is a picture of house just next to my house.

You see the tree? That’s not naturally grown. It is tied tightly to the pole. Carefully put exactly in front of the house. So that no body can miss to know that he is in love with a girl who lives in this house.

To make sure the identity of girl he has written her name over a big red heart hanged on the tree. How cute. I came to know that every first of may people here express their love by putting a tree in front of their beloved’s house.

The tree is called a “May Tree”

I was curious and read more about it. “In many areas of Germany, young men put a ‘May tree’ in front of their girlfriend’s window during the night. These are usually young birch trees decorated with colorful ribbons. The young men go into the woods and cut down the birch trees themselves, under the strict watch of the foresters. Incidentally, in leap years (i.e. years in which February has 29 days), it is the young women who get a May tree or a ‘May heart’ for their sweetheart. ” - 1 May – a holiday with many facets