May Day

May 1 is May Day. While that might not mean much to most people in the United States, May Day is actually a very revered holiday in other parts of the world. May Day marks the half way point of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. May Day got its start in Pre-Christian Europe as the Festival of Flora - The Roman Goddess of Flowers. The holiday evolved to mean that the cold and old of winter had passed to make way for the renewal of all things during the spring. May Day is sometimes celebrated as a worker's holiday in labor unions and markets around the world. Here's a look at some of the May Day customs today.

May Day Baskets

A person puts together a basket of flowers and treats and leaves it on someone's doorstep. The bearer rings the bell or knocks and then runs away. If the recipient is able to catch the bearer of the basket, they are supposed to exchange a kiss.

Maypole Dance

English villagers would comb the countryside for flowers. A maypole, which was often the trunk of a tall birch tree, was erected in the village center. The villagers would decorate the pole with their collected flowers and dance around it in celebration of the spring and summer seasons.

Washing with May Dew

Women in Europe would wash their face with the morning dew on May Day in the belief that it restored natural beauty. Young girls in the mountain regions of the United States believed that washing their face with this special dew would ensure they would marry the man of their dreams.