Morris Dancing-A Brief History

Morris dancing from the Cotswolds in southwest England was traditionally done during the springtime to awaken the sleeping earth from its winter slumber.

In the Welsh border area, Morris dancing traditionally happened around Christmas time and the dancers would raise a substantial amount of extra money by passing a hat. In many cases, this made the difference between a good Christmas and a poor one.

For a more detailed history, we can do no better than to refer you to the Wikipedia description of the origins of Morris Dancing and Border Morris.