Invention of Traditions
A number of traditions were invented by the Hong Kong Morris in the early 1980s, some of which have survived. These include an adaptation of the Oxford custom May Morning, a ritual that includes dancing on The Peak at dawn followed by a hearty breakfast and still more dancing; Macau trips, including evenings of singing and dancing at the Pousada da Coloane hotel and lunch at Fernando's restaurant on Hac Sa Beach; junk trips to the Lamma Island Wan Kee Seafood Restaurant; Boxing Day dancing; and a send-off 'ale' for departing members of the side in which alcohol and tears flow freely. The last such 'farewell ale' was held on 25 September 2009 for two long-serving members of the side.
Two curious rituals that have stood the test of time include the singing of the English folk song Country Life (first line of chorus: 'I Like to Rise when the Sun She Rises') during group photographs, and the use of the phrase 'Yat for the Do' for the final round of beer of an evening (from Cantonese Yat (一), one, and Do (道), road). Many of these traditions were established under the leadership of Andy Houghton, a squire of the Hong Kong Morris in the first half of the 1980s.
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