May Day is on Saturday, May 1, 2027, and it falls on May 1 every year. The date has two meanings. It’s an old spring festival of flowers and maypoles, and in much of the world it’s also International Workers’ Day.
When Is May Day?
It’s always May 1. In the U.S., it isn’t a federal holiday; American workers get Labor Day in September instead. In many other countries, May 1 is a public holiday for workers.
What Is the History of May Day?
The spring festival
May Day’s flower traditions reach back to pre-Christian Europe. One theory links them to the Roman Floralia, which honored Flora, goddess of flowers. In Gaelic lands, May 1 was Beltane, a bonfire festival marking the halfway point between the spring equinox and summer solstice. Its rites were meant to protect crops and livestock.
Floralia customs included releasing hares and goats and tossing beans or lentils into crowds, all symbols of fertility, the Farmers’ Almanac notes.
In medieval England, celebrations centered on the maypole, traditionally cut from a birch tree. Dancers held ribbons tied to the top and wove them into patterns as they circled it. Villages also crowned a May Queen.
International Workers’ Day
The second meaning began in the U.S. On May 1, 1886, workers across the country walked off the job. They were demanding shorter workdays, with the eight-hour day as the goal.
On May 4, a bomb exploded as police moved to break up a rally in Chicago’s Haymarket Square. A police officer was killed, and more people died in the violence that followed, the Library of Congress notes. Eight men were convicted, and seven were sentenced to death.
In 1889, an international socialist conference declared May 1 a day for labor, in honor of the Haymarket protesters.
What Does the Day Celebrate?
As a spring festival, it welcomes warmer days, flowers and the growing season. As International Workers’ Day, it honors workers and the labor movement that won shorter hours and safer conditions. In many countries, unions hold marches and rallies on May 1 to call attention to wages and working conditions.
The U.S. chose a different date for its labor holiday. Labor Day, on the first Monday in September, became a national holiday in 1894.
How to Celebrate May Day
- Leave a May basket: fill a small paper cone with flowers or treats and hang it on a neighbor’s doorknob, an old American custom.
- Dance around a maypole: some schools, parks and Renaissance fairs host maypole dances.
- Make a flower crown: weave fresh or paper flowers onto a simple wire or ribbon headband.
- Plant something: start herbs, flowers or vegetables in pots or a garden bed as the weather warms.
- Learn labor history: read about the Haymarket Affair or visit a labor history site.
- Thank a worker: recognize the people whose jobs keep your community running.
- Take a spring walk: gather wildflowers where it’s allowed, or simply enjoy the blooms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does “Mayday” mean distress?
The emergency call comes from the French “m’aidez,” meaning “help me.” It’s unrelated to the May 1 holiday despite sounding the same.
Is May Day a holiday in the U.S.?
No. Businesses and schools stay open. The U.S. honors workers on Labor Day, the first Monday in September.
What is Lei Day?
In Hawaii, May 1 is Lei Day, a celebration of the flower lei and island culture, with lei-making contests and music.