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  1. May Day - Wikipedia

    • May Day is a European festival of ancient origins marking the beginning of summer, usually celebrated on 1 May, around halfway between the Northern Hemisphere's Spring equinox and June solstice. Festivities may also be held the night before, known as May Eve. Traditions often include gathering wildflowers and green branches ("bringing in the May"), wea… See more

    Origins and celebrations

    The earliest known May celebrations appeared with the Floralia, festival of Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers, held … See more

    Germanic regions

    In rural regions of Germany, especially the Harz Mountains, Walpurgisnacht celebrations are traditionally held on the night before May Day, including bonfires and the wrapping of a Maibaum (maypole). Young people use … See more

    SignificanceEuropean festival of ancient origins marking the beginning of summer
    Date1 May
     A Celebration of Spring and Struggle
    A Celebration of Spring and Struggle
    May Day (May 1) is a global date with varied meanings and traditions. It can mark spring, workers' rights, or social justice. It originates from pagan, floral, and revolutionary practices.
    Celtic regions

    In Ireland, May Day has long been celebrated as the festival of Bealtaine. It marks the beginning of summer and historically was when cattle were driven out to the summer pastures. Rituals were performed t… See more

    Bulgaria

    On May Day, Bulgarians celebrate Irminden (or Yeremiya, Eremiya, Irima, Zamski den). The holiday is associated with snakes and lizards and rituals are made in order to protect people from them. The name of the holiday co… See more

    Czech Republic

    In the Czech Republic, May Day is traditionally considered a holiday of love and May as a month of love. The celebrations of spring are held on 30 April when a maypole ("májka" in Czech) is erected—a … See more

    England

    Traditional English May Day rites and celebrations include crowning a May Queen and celebrations involving a maypole, around which dancers often circle with ribbons. Morris dancing is also often performed … See more

    Estonia

    May Day or "Spring Day" (Kevadpüha) is a national holiday in Estonia celebrating the arrival of spring.
    More traditional festivities take place throughout the night before and into the early hour… See more

     
  1. May Day ‑ Meaning, Date & Workers Day - HISTORY

    May Day is a May 1 celebration with a long and varied history, dating back millennia. Throughout the years, there have been many different events and festivities worldwide, most with the...

  2. May Day 2025: What Is May Day? - The Old Farmer's …

    May 16, 2024 · May Day (May 1) celebrates the return of spring! Learn about the origins of May Day and fun traditions, from surprise flower baskets to the maypole. Don’t forget to wash your face with morning dew on May 1 for good …

  3. May Day | Spring Festival, Maypole | Britannica

    May Day, in medieval and modern Europe, holiday (May 1) for the celebration of the return of spring. The observance probably originated in ancient agricultural rituals, and the Greeks and Romans held such festivals.

  4. International Workers' Day - Wikipedia

  5. What Is May Day? Here’s How To Celebrate the Spring …

    Apr 15, 2024 · Here's everything you need to know about May Day, and how you can enjoy it with friends and family this spring! When is May Day and what's it all about? It falls on the first of May and marks the halfway point between spring …

  6. The history of May Day in America : NPR

  7. May Day History: How May 1 Became a Holiday for …

    May 1, 2015 · On one hand, May Day is known for maypoles, flowers and welcoming the spring. On the other hand, it’s a day of worker solidarity and protest; though the U.S. observes its official Labor Day in...

  8. What Is the History and Significance of Mayday?

    Apr 30, 2024 · Some of the earliest May celebrations took place in ancient Rome, most notably The Floralia, or the Festival of Flora, a tribute to the goddess of spring, flowers and fertility which took place from the 28th of April to the 3rd …

  9. May Day: America's traditional, radical, complicated …

    May Day is a holiday that many Americans have celebrated, but relatively few can explain. Depending on your age, you might associate May 1 with dancing around a maypole in elementary school or watching tanks proceed through Moscow's …