May Day

This article is about the festival at the start of May. For the labour holiday, see International Workers' Day. For the distress signal, see Mayday. For other uses, see May Day (disambiguation).

May Day
A Maypole decorated on May Day in Padstow, Cornwall
TypeCultural
SignificanceEuropean festival of ancient origins marking the beginning of summer
CelebrationsRaising and decorating Maypoles, decorating buildings with green branches and flowers, crowning a May Queen, Jack in the Green, bonfires, feasting, dancing, singing, processions
Date1 May

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 midsummer solstice.[1][2] Festivities may also be held the night before, known as May Eve. Traditions include gathering green branches and wildflowers ("bringing in the May"),[3] which are used to decorate buildings and made into wreaths; crowning a May Queen, sometimes with a male companion decked in greenery; setting up a Maypole, May Tree, or May Bush, around which people dance and sing; as well as parades and processions involving these.[4] Bonfires are also a major part of the festival in some regions. Regional varieties and related traditions include Walpurgis Night in central and northern Europe,[1] the Gaelic festival Beltane,[5] the Welsh festival Calan Mai,[5] and May devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary. It has also been associated with the ancient Roman festival Floralia.[6]

International Workers' Day observed on 1 May is also called "May Day", but the two have different histories.

  1. ^ a b Melton, J. Gordon (2011). Religious Celebrations. ABC-CLIO. p. 915. ISBN 9781598842050.
  2. ^ "May Day Celebrations". Historic UK. Retrieved 2 May 2021.
  3. ^ Wilks, Jon (22 April 2023). "Customs Uncovered: Bringing in the May". Tradfolk. Retrieved 1 May 2024.
  4. ^ "May Day". Encyclopædia Britannica. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica. Encyclopaedia Britannica, inc. 26 July 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: others (link)
  5. ^ a b Hutton, Ronald (1996). Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain. Oxford University Press. pp. 218–225. ISBN 978-0-19-820570-8.
  6. ^ Joshua, Essaka (2016). The Romantics and the May Day Tradition. Routledge. p. 16.
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