May day

May day, in medieval and modern Europe, holiday (May 1st) for the celebration of the return of spring.The observance probably originated in ancient agricultural rituals, and the Greeks and Romans held such festivals. Although later practices varied widely, the celebrations came to include the gathering of wildflowers and green branches, the weaving of floral garlands, the crowning of a May king and queen, and the setting up of a decorated May tree, or Maypole, around which people danced such rites originally may have been intended to ensure fertility for crops and, by extension, for livestock and humans. In the 20th century, traditional May Day celebrations declined in many countries as May 1st became associated with the international holiday honouring workers and the labour movement.