~How to Danse the Macabray~
This is a dance between the living and the dead. It being preformed for centuries, there are certain formalities that have been put into place.
First, when the dead are gathered together, finally in the same atmosphere as the living, the partners, when they first approach each other, must touch fingertips, just before the eerie music starts. (La-la-la-oomp! La-la-la-oomp!) Inevitably, when this is done, participants will smile with mutual pleasure.
After that, the partners take a few steps toward each other and connect their hands fully, from heel to knuckle, from knuckle, to nail. By this time, all partnerships should be made. But don't become too attached. There will be many matches made this night.
Now, it is customary for the dead to lead, whether they be man, woman, boy, or girl. They will take the first hop-like step and look at their partner, waiting for that questioning tilt of the head, thereby beginning the bodily conversation.
The Macabray is never performed the same way twice, as different people take part in it each time. The dead know how it goes. They know what questions to ask, and what limbs to ask with. Sometimes the dead will improvise, some were not raised to follow tradition, you know. When the ancient lines are formed, the hop-skip is done in perfect unison, bringing wide smiles to all, and a perfect joy to those old, and feeble.
There are things that must always be the same. For example, the Lady on the Grey must always choose her own partner. Be they man or woman, young or old, rich or poor. But the Lady on the Grey must never dance with the same person twice, it had been a pact between she and the people for uncounted years.
Other things must be done, things that people instinctively do. The white flowers must be kept in the dance till its end. Only then may they may be dropped to the ground, worn to show all, or kept in a secret place, to peer at later, wondering how you got it. But until then, the flowers must participate. They must dance along with the living and the dead.