May 1st, often called May Day, just might have more holidays than any other day of the year. It's a celebration of Spring. It's a day of political protests. It's a neopagan festival, a saint's feast day, and a day for organized labor. In many countries, it is a national holiday.
Beltane was a Celtic calendar feast ushering in the start of summer.
Some cultures, such as those found in India and Egypt, had spring fertility festivals. The Roman festival celebrating Flora, goddess of fertility, flowers, and spring, was celebrated from April 28 through May 3.
In medieval England, people would celebrate the start of spring by going out to the country or woods—"going a-maying"—and gathering greenery and flowers, or "bringing in the may." This was described in "The Court of Love."
According to the early Roman calendar, May was the third month. Later, the ancient Romans used January 1 for the beginning of their year, and May became the fifth month. May has always had 31 days.
Several stories are passed around to show how the month of May was named. The most widely accepted explanation is that it was named for Maia, the Roman goddess of spring and growth. Her name related to a Latin word that means increase or growth.
May is one of the most beautiful months of the year in the northern temperate zone. Usually the snow and ice are gone and the hot temperatures haven't yet arrived. The first garden begins to sprout in May and the wild flowers are blooming. The trees and grasses are turning green and beautiful. Many birds have built their nests, and the mother birds are sitting on the eggs, which will soon hatch.
