May Day Festival

May Day is a joyful and meaningful celebration that holds an important place in our school year. Falling midway between the spring equinox and the summer solstice, it marks the turning of the season and the full arrival of spring. The origins of May Day can be traced back to ancient celebrations honoring Flora, the Roman goddess of flowers.

Today, May Day is widely known for its Maypole dances and the crowning of “Lady Spring.” Another beloved tradition is the giving of May Baskets – small bundles of flowers, often delivered in secret to a neighbor’s door.

At WSL, children create and wear May crowns, decorated with flowers, and the festival includes a playful exchange between King Winter and Lady Spring.

At the heart of the celebration is the Maypole – a tall wooden pole adorned with greenery, flowers, and long, colorful ribbons. As dancers skip around the pole, the ribbons are woven into intricate patterns, briefly revealed before being unwound again in the final steps of the dance.

With joy and anticipation, our elementary and middle school students share songs and dances inspired by many cultures. Parents, caregivers, early childhood students, alums, and friends of WSL gather to welcome the season together.

May Day offers a moment to delight in the beauty of the natural world and to experience the rhythms of the seasons – an expression of how the festival lives within the curriculum and supports the children’s growing connection to the world around them.