Editing May Day (section)

== Origins and celebrations ==
[[File:Sketch for Floralia (1888) by Antonio Reyna Manescau.jpg|thumb|250px|''Floralia'' by [[Antonio María Reyna Manescau]] (1888).]]
[[File:St. George's Kermis with the Dance around the Maypole by Pieter Brueghel the Younger.jpg|thumb|250px|Maypole dancing in the Netherlands, by [[Pieter Brueghel the Younger]] (16th century).]]
The earliest known May celebrations appeared with the [[Floralia|''Floralia'', festival of Flora]], the Roman goddess of flowers, held from 27 April to 3 May during the [[Roman Republic]] era, and the ''Maiouma'' or ''Maiuma'', a festival celebrating [[Dionysus]] and [[Aphrodite]] held every three years during the month of May.<ref>Pearse, R. [https://www.roger-pearse.com/weblog/2012/07/02/the-festival-of-the-maiuma-at-antioch/ The festival of the Maiuma at Antioch]. 2 July 2012. Retrieved 2009-Apr-09 at https://www.roger-pearse.com/weblog/2012/07/02/the-festival-of-the-maiuma-at-antioch/</ref> The ''Floralia'' opened with theatrical performances. In the ''Floralia'', [[Ovid]] says that [[hare]]s and [[goat]]s were released as part of the festivities. [[Persius]] writes that crowds were pelted with [[vetch]]es, [[bean]]s, and [[lupin]]s. A ritual called the ''Florifertum'' was performed on either 27 April or 3 May,<ref>Scullard, ''Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic'', p. 249.</ref><ref>[[Sextus Pompeius Festus|Festus]], 298 in the edition of Lindsay.</ref> during which a bundle of wheat ears was carried into a shrine, though it is not clear if this devotion was made to Flora or [[Ceres (mythology)|Ceres]].<ref>P.Wissowa, ''Religion und Kultus der Römer'', 1912, München; H.Le Bonniec, ''Le culte de Cérès à Rome des origines à la fin de la République'', 1958, Paris; Kurt Latte, ''Römische Religionsgeschichte'', 1960, Leipzig; P.Pouthier, ''Ops et la conception divine de l'abondance dans la religion romaine jusqu'à la mort d'Auguste'', BEFAR 242, 1981, Rome.</ref><ref>Kurt Latte, ''Römische Religionsgeschichte'', 1960, Leipzig.</ref> ''Floralia'' concluded with [[Roman Empire#Recreation and spectacles|competitive events and spectacles]], and a sacrifice to Flora.<ref>Scullard, ''Festivals and Ceremonies of the Roman Republic'', p. 110.</ref>

''Maiouma'' was celebrated at least as early as the 2nd century AD, when records show expenses for the month-long festival were appropriated by Emperor [[Commodus]].<ref name=Antiochopedia/> According to the 6th-century chronicles of [[John Malalas]], the ''Maiouma'' was a "nocturnal dramatic festival, held every three years and known as Orgies, that is, the Mysteries of [[Dionysus]] and [[Aphrodite]]" and that it was "known as the ''Maioumas'' because it is celebrated in the month of May-Artemisios". During this time, enough money was set aside by the government for torches, lights, and other expenses to cover a 30-day festival of "all-night revels."<ref>Malalas, Chronicle 284-285</ref> The ''Maiouma'' was celebrated with splendorous banquets and offerings. Its reputation for licentiousness caused it to be suppressed during the reign of Emperor [[Constantine the Great|Constantine]], though a less debauched version of it was briefly restored during the reigns of [[Arcadius]] and [[Honorius (emperor)|Honorius]], only to be suppressed again during the same period.<ref name="Antiochopedia">Christopher Ecclestone. 2009. [http://libaniusredux.blogspot.com/2009/07/festivals.html Festivals]. Antiochopedia = Musings Upon Ancient Antioch. Retrieved 9 April 2019.</ref>

During the Middle Ages, May Eve was celebrated in much of northern Europe with the lighting of bonfires at night.<ref name="Melton2011"/> In the [[Germanic peoples|Germanic]] countries, this became [[Walpurgis Night]], commemorating the official canonization of [[Saint Walpurga]] on 1 May 870.<ref name="Melton2011">{{Cite book |last=Melton |first=J. Gordon |title=Religious Celebrations |publisher=[[ABC-CLIO]] |year=2011 |isbn=9781598842050 |page=915 |language=en}}</ref> It continued the tradition of lighting bonfires.<ref name="Melton2011"/> Folklorist [[Jack Santino]] says "Her day and its traditions almost certainly are traceable to pre-Christian celebrations that took place at this time".<ref>{{cite book |last=Santino |first=Jack |title=Halloween and Other Festivals of Death and Life |date=1994 |publisher=[[University of Tennessee Press]] |page=xix}}</ref> In [[Gaels|Gaelic]] culture, 1 May was the celebration of ''[[Beltane|Beltaine]]'' or ''Cétshamhain'', while for the [[Welsh people|Welsh]] it was ''[[Calan Mai]]'' or ''Cyntefin''.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Koch |first1=John |author1-link=John T. Koch |title=Celtic Culture: A Historical Encyclopedia |date=2006 |publisher=ABC-CLIO |page=331}}</ref> First attested in 900 AD, the celebration mainly focused on the symbolic use of fire to bless cattle and other livestock as they were moved to summer pastures. This custom continued into the early 19th century, during which time cattle would be made to jump over fires to protect their milk from being stolen by [[fairies]]. People would also leap over the fires for luck.<ref name="hutton">Hutton, Ronald. ''The Stations of the Sun: A History of the Ritual Year in Britain''. Oxford University Press, 1996. pp.&nbsp;218–225</ref>

Since the 18th century, many Roman Catholics have observed May – and May Day – with various [[May devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary]].<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/10542a.htm |title=Special Devotions for Months |year=1911 |website=The Catholic Encyclopedia |access-date=26 July 2014}}</ref> In works of art, school skits, and so forth, Mary's head will often be adorned with flowers in a [[May crowning]]. 1 May is also one of two feast days of the Catholic patron saint of workers [[St Joseph the Worker]], a carpenter, husband to [[Mother Mary]], and foster father of [[Jesus]].<ref name="EncyBrit">{{Cite encyclopedia |url=http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/306336/Saint-Joseph#ref1133736 |title=Saint Joseph |encyclopedia=Encyclopædia Britannica |access-date=26 July 2014}}</ref> Replacing another feast to St. Joseph, this date was chosen by [[Pope Pius XII]] in 1955 as a counterpoint to the communist [[International Workers' Day]] celebrations on May Day.<ref name=EncyBrit />

The best known modern May Day traditions, observed both in Europe and North America, include dancing around the [[maypole]] and crowning the [[Queen of May]]. Fading in popularity since the late 20th century is the tradition of giving of "May baskets", small baskets of sweets or flowers, usually left anonymously on neighbours' doorsteps.

In the late 20th century, many [[neopagan]]s began reconstructing some of the older pagan festivals and combining them with more recently developed European secular and Catholic traditions, and celebrating May Day as a pagan religious festival.<ref>E.g. [https://vancouversun.com/news/Todd+dancing+celebrates+pagan+fertility/6554073/story.html Douglas Todd: "May Day dancing celebrates neo-pagan fertility", ''Vancouver Sun'', 1 May 2012] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191127220832/http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Todd+dancing+celebrates+pagan+fertility/6554073/story.html |date=27 November 2019 }}: accessed 8 May 2014</ref>