On what date is May Day celebrated?

May Day is celebrated on May 1. It is a European festival with ancient seasonal roots, traditionally marking the beginning of summer in the Northern Hemisphere.

Many May Day customs center on renewal and growth. Communities may decorate homes with greenery and flowers, dance around a maypole, crown a May Queen, hold processions, or light bonfires. Some celebrations begin on May Eve, the night of April 30.

May Day is sometimes confused with International Workers’ Day, which is also widely observed on May 1. The two traditions share a calendar date but have different histories: one developed from spring and seasonal festivals, while the other commemorates the labor movement and workers’ rights.

Regional celebrations include Ireland’s and Scotland’s Beltane, Wales’s Calan Mai, and Germany’s Walpurgis Night. In some countries, May 1 is also associated with spring flowers, including lily of the valley in France.