May Day
May Day is a European festival of ancient origins marking the beginning of summer, usually celebrated on May 1, midway between the Northern Hemisphere spring equinox and the June solstice. Festivals may also be held the night before, known as May Eve. Traditions often include gathering wildflowers and green branches, weaving flower garlands, crowning a May Queen (sometimes with a male partner) and setting up a maypole, may tree or may bush, around which people dance. Bonfires are also part of the festival in some regions. Regional variations and related traditions include Walpurgis Night in Central and Northern Europe, the Gaelic festival Beltane. Welsh festival Callan Mai. And devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. It has also been associated with the ancient Roman festival Florala.
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