Hastings Jack in the Green 2025

This May Day bank holiday was my first attendance as a local at the Hastings’ Jack in the Green festival - although I had previously travelled from Hove in 2023 to see it and posted some notes and photographs here.

The festival lasts about a week, but the undisputed highlight is the May Day grand procession of the Jack through the old town, then up onto West Hill where he is slain.

The main character of this day is obviously the Jack in the Green himself, a larger-than-life leaf-covered character, and he is accompanied by the Bogies (who ensure he reaches his destination unharmed) and Sal (Jack’s consort), the Hastings Milkmaids and Sweeps, various Giants, and numerous Morris sides and drumming groups.

Jack’s procession through the Old Town and up to West Hill takes a couple of hours, arriving on the hill around midday where beer, food, and craft stalls await the procession and everyone else.

From the printed programme:

At the conclusion of the weekend, all attention is turned towards Jack - King for just one day. After a final burst of energy, Jack is slain and his leaves distributed to his followers. There are plenty for everyone and you only need one leaf from Jack to gain good luck.

I got my leaf!

I was again struck by the proactive mass-participation inherent in the festival (as opposed to a crowd coming out simply to watch/consume a spectacle). As I wrote last year in a post called Collective joy & collective ownership of ritual:

For Jack-in-the-Green nearly everyone coming along either wears a green costume (often bedecked with leaves) or, at the very least, takes advantage of one of the many green face-painters plying their trade.

This year I prepared in advance and wore the bark face mask that I made for a 2019 piece of artwork of mine called Guardian of the Woodland Shadows, from my on-going Acid Renaissance series, and received several very kind compliments on it. Next year I really should prepare an entire costume.

Unfortunately I didn’t take any photos of the festival this year, but the local newspaper has quite a few and many more can be found on Instagram under the #HastingsJackInTheGreen hashtag.