May Day is a European festival of ancient origins marking the beginning of summer, usually celebrated on May 1, around halfway between the spring equinox and summer solstice.
Traditions often include gathering wildflowers and green branches, weaving floral garlands, crowning a May Queen, and setting up a Maypole, May Tree or May Bush, around which people dance.
International Workers' Day is also called ‘May Day’ but the two are unrelated.
The early May bank holiday on the first Monday in May was created in 1978; May Day itself – May 1 – is not a public holiday in England.
This year’s May Day Bank Holiday falls on Monday, May 6, 2024.
Do you have plans for this year’s May Day?
Here is a closer look at May Days across the Sherwood Forest area, featuring some ‘famous’ figures…
1. Sherwood Forest
Robin Hood and Maid Marion from the Merry Outlaws pictured at the Edwinstowe May Day Festival. 2010. Photo: Roger Grayson
2. May Queens
May Queen Chloe Hodgson, centre, pictured with her attendants Harriet Rhodes, left, and Olivia Bradley as the Morris Men's horse joins in the picture at the Edwinstowe May Day Festival. Photo: Roger Grayson
3. The Green, Wellow
The Green, Wellow, Near Ollerton. Wellow Green played host to the annual Maypole event, along with a variety of other activities. Picture: Corps of drums display entertained the crowds. 2010. Photo: Barrie Codling
4. Mansfield, 1984
Miners' Strike. Miners' May Day March at Mansfield. Arthur Scargill speaking. Photo: ©Sheffield Newspapers Ltd