when i was little growing up in the south, we always celebrated may day. i would get a new dress and we would dance around a maypole. i don't think i ever knew why - it was just another fun day as a kid!
for the druids, may 1 was the second most important holiday when the festival of beltrane was held. it was thought that this day divides the year into half. the custom was to set a new fire that was thought to lend life to the burgeoning springtime sun. cattle were driven through the fire to purify them, men and their sweethearts passed through the smoke for good luck.
when the romans occupied the british isles they devoted this day to the worship of flora, the goddess of flowers & it was in her honor that a 5 day celebration, called the floralia, was held starting on april 28 and ending may 2. eventually these celebrations were added to those of the beltrane and many of today's customs of may day are similar to those combined traditions.
by the middle ages every english village had a maypole. the bringing in of the maypole from the woods was a great occasion & each village would vie with another to produce the tallest maypoles.
and lastly from alan jay lerner & frederick loewe's camelot:
it's may, it's may, the month of "yes, you may"
the time for every frivolous whim , proper or im
it's wild, it's gay, depraved in every way
the birds and bees with all of their vast amorous past
gaze at the human race aghast
the lusty month of may - it's may, it's may, the lusty month of may
that lovely month when everyone goes blissfully astray
it's here, it's here, that shocking time of year
when tons of wicked little thoughts merrily appear
it's may, it's may, the month of great dismay
when all the world is brimming with fun, wholesome or un
it's mad, it's gay, alive a lust display
those dreary vows that everyone takes, everyone breaks
everyone makes divine mistakes....
the lusty month of may
