May Day celebrations have their origins in the Roman festival of Flora, goddess of fruit and flowers, which marked the beginning of summer. Floralia was held annually from April 28th to May 3rd. There are also links to Beltane, a Celtic fire festival that celebrates of the coming of summer and the fertility of the coming year.
May Day was especially popular in Medieval times. Activities centered around the Maypole, a tree collected from the woods and brought to the village to celebrate the...
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