If the end of winter and the beginning of spring make you feel like dancing, you could be Cornish. Or at least you’d fit right in with the centuries-old tradition of dancing in the streets of Helston, a charming market town in southwest Cornwall.

Traditionally held on May 8, this year’s Flora Day is May 5, thanks to the former Duke of Cornwall’s coronation as King. Here’s how this festive day unfolds:

The day consists of four processional dances which follow the band through the streets and in and out of the houses and shops which have been decorated with greenery and flowers for the day. The first dance starts at 7am and was traditionally the dance for the servants and workers of the town. The ladies wear bright summers dresses and their partners wear white shirts and the Helston Town tie.  The next dance is the Children’s Dance which starts at 9.40am.  The Children’s dance was introduced in 1922 and has proved very popular. The children all wear white, with the girls wearing floral headdresses representing their school and the boys wearing their school ties.  The midday dance starts as the Guildhall clock strikes 12 and is the most regal of the dances. The ladies wear long dresses, picture hats and evening gloves and the gentlemen are resplendent in tailcoats, waistcoats and grey top hats.  The final dance of the day is at 5pm. Although the dancers have enjoyed an entire day of revels, it doesn’t dampen their enthusiasm.