May Day is a European festival of ancient origins marking the beginning of summer, usually celebrated on May 1, around halfway between the Northern Hemisphere's spring equinox and midsummer solstice.
A Maypole decorated on May Day in Padstow, Cornwall
Floralia by Antonio María Reyna Manescau (1888)
Maypole dancing in the Netherlands, by Pieter Brueghel the Younger (16th century)
Maibaum in Munich, Germany
Walpurgis Night, an abbreviation of Saint Walpurgis Night, also known as Saint Walpurga's Eve and Walpurgisnacht, is the eve of the Christian feast day of Saint Walpurga, an 8th-century abbess in Fran
May Day
…and processions involving these. Bonfires are also a major part of the festival in some regions. Regional varieties and related traditions include Walpurgis Night in central and northern Europe, the Gaelic festival Beltane, the Welsh festival Calan Mai, and May devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary. It has also…
Walpurgisnacht at the open-air theatre in Heidelberg
A Christian gonfalon depicting Saint Walpurga used in liturgical processions on the Feast of Saint Walpurga
The relics of Saint Walpurga are housed at Saint Peter's Church in Munich, where they are venerated, especially on 25 February (Saint Walpurga's death date) and 1 May (Saint Walpurga's canonization date), both of which are observed as the Feast of Saint Walpurga, depending on locality.
Burning of the witches in the Czech Republic