Holidays and observances
May
Holidays and observances on May 1
40 holidays and special days are celebrated on May 1 around the world.
- 40observances
- 45events
Holidays and observances
- Christian feast day: AldebrandusAldebrandus or Aldebrand, also known as Hildebrand, was a Bishop of Fossombrone and a saint.
Christian feast day:
AmatorAmator (in French) Amadour or Amatre was bishop of Auxerre from 388 until his death on 1 May 418 and venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church. Amator's feast day is celebrated on 1 May.
Christian feast day:
AndeolusAndeolus or Andéol is an alleged Christian missionary martyred in Gaul.- Christian feast day: Aredius of GapAredius of Gap was bishop of Gap.
Christian feast day:
AsaphSaint Asaph was a Welsh bishop and saint, traditionally regarded as the first Bishop of St Asaph of the diocese of Saint Asaph. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church and the Eastern Orthodox Church.
Christian feast day:
Augustin Schoeffler, Jean-Louis Bonnard (part of Vietnamese Martyrs)Augustin Schoeffler was a French saint and martyr in the Catholic Church and a member of the Paris Foreign Missions Society. He was a priest in Lorraine who joined the Foreign Missions of Paris. He worked as a missionary to Indochina and was one of two French 
Christian feast day:
Benedict of SzkalkaBenedict of Skalka or Szkalka, born in Nitra, in the Grand Principality of Hungary, was a Benedictine monk. He was canonized in 1083 and is venerated as a saint. He became a hermit and lived an austere life in a cave along the Váh River. In 1012, he was strang
Christian feast day:
Bertha of Val d'OrBertha of Val d'Or, was an abbess, virgin, and martyr. She is venerated in the Roman Catholic Church and Eastern Orthodox Church as a saint.
Christian feast day:
BriocBrioc was a 6th-century Welsh holy man who became the first abbot of Saint-Brieuc in Brittany. He is one of the seven founder saints of Brittany.
Christian feast day:
James the Less (Anglican Communion)James, son of Alphaeus was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus, appearing under this name in all three of the Synoptic Gospels' lists of the apostles. He is generally identified with James the Less and commonly known by that name in church tradition. He is als
Christian feast day:
JeremiahJeremiah, also called Jeremias, and occasionally in older English texts Jeremy, was one of the major prophets of the Hebrew Bible. According to Jewish tradition, Jeremiah authored the book that bears his name, the Books of Kings, and the Book of Lamentations, 
Christian feast day:
Saint Joseph the Worker (Roman Catholic)According to the canonical Gospels, Joseph was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus.
Christian feast day:
Julian of BaleJulian of Bale, was a Franciscan friar, who was beatified by the Catholic Church in 1910.
Christian feast day:
Blessed Klymentiy Sheptytsky (Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church)Klymentiy Sheptytsky, MSU, also known as Klymentiy of Univ, was a Ukrainian Catholic prelate who served as archimandrite of the Studite Monks in the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and as Russian Catholic Apostolic Exarch of Great Russia and Siberia. Sheptytsk
Christian feast day:
Mafalda of PortugalInfanta Mafalda of Portugal was a Portuguese infanta (princess) and later Queen consort of Castile for a brief period. She was the second youngest daughter of King Sancho I of Portugal and Dulce of Aragon. She became queen consort during her brief marriage to 
Christian feast day:
MarcoufMarculf was the abbot at Nantus in the Cotentin. He is regarded as a saint and is associated with the healing of scrofula.- Christian feast day: OrientiusOrientius was a Christian Latin poet of the fifth century.
Christian feast day:
Peregrine LaziosiPeregrine Laziosi is an Italian saint of the Servite Order. He is the patron saint for persons suffering from cancer, AIDS, and other life-threatening illnesses.
Christian feast day:
Philip the Apostle (Anglican Communion, Lutheran Church)Philip the Apostle was one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus according to the New Testament. Later Christian traditions describe Philip as the apostle who preached in Carthage, Greece, Syria, and Asia-Minor.
Christian feast day:
Richard PampuriRiccardo Pampuri, OH - born Erminio Filippo Pampuri was an Italian medical doctor and a veteran of World War I who was also a professed member of the Brothers Hospitallers of Saint John of God. Pampuri worked as a field doctor on the battlefield during the Gre
Christian feast day:
Seven Apostolic Men
Caecilius of ElviraSaint Caecilius is venerated as the patron saint of Granada, Spain.
Christian feast day:
Seven Apostolic Men
Ctesiphon of VergiumAccording to Christian tradition, the Seven Apostolic Men were seven Christian clerics ordained in Rome by Saints Peter and Paul and sent to evangelize Spain. This group includes Torquatus, Caecilius, Ctesiphon, Euphrasius, Indaletius, Hesychius, and Secundius
Christian feast day:
Seven Apostolic Men
Euphrasius of IlliturgisSaint Euphrasius of Illiturgis is venerated as a Christian missionary of the 1st century, during the Apostolic Age. Euphrasius’ diocese was traditionally associated with Illiturgis (Iliturgi), located between Bailén and Andújar. He is said to have been martyre- Christian feast day:
Seven Apostolic Men
Hesychius of CazorlaSaint Hesychius is venerated as the patron saint of Cazorla, Spain.
- Christian feast day: Seven Apostolic Men IndaletiusSaint Indaletius is venerated as the patron saint of Almería, Spain. Tradition makes him a Christian missionary of the 1st century, during the Apostolic Age. He evangelized the town of Urci, near the present-day city of Almería, and became its first bishop. He
Christian feast day:
Seven Apostolic Men
Secundus of AbulaSaint Secundus or Secundius is venerated as a Christian missionary and martyr of the 1st century, during the Apostolic Age. He evangelized the town of Abula, which has been identified as either Abla or Ávila, and became its first bishop.
Christian feast day:
Seven Apostolic Men
Torquatus of AcciSaint Torquatus is venerated as the patron saint of Guadix, Spain and San Trocado, Allariz. Tradition makes him a Christian missionary of the 1st century, during the Apostolic Age. He evangelized the town of Acci, identified as Guadix, and became its first bis
Christian feast day:
Sigismund of BurgundySigismund was King of the Burgundians from 516 until his death. He was the son of king Gundobad and Caretene. He succeeded his father in 516. Sigismund and his brother Godomar were defeated in battle by Clovis's sons, and Godomar fled. Sigismund was captured b- Christian feast day: TheodardSaint Theodard was an archbishop of Narbonne. He may have been born to the nobility and served as a subdeacon at a church council at Toulouse.
Christian feast day:
UltanUltan was an Irish monk who later became an abbot. He was the brother of Saints Fursey and Foillan. He was a member of Fursey's mission from Ireland to East Anglia in c. 633, and lived there both as a monastic probationary and later alone as an anchorite. In c
Christian feast day:
May 1 (Eastern Orthodox liturgics)Apr. 30 - Eastern Orthodox Church calendar - May 2.
Armed Forces Day (Mauritania)An Armed Forces Day, alongside its branch-specific variants often referred to as Army or Soldier's Day, Navy or Sailor's Day, and Air Force or Aviator's Day, is a holiday dedicated to honoring the armed forces, or one of their branches, of a sovereign state, i- Constitution Day (Argentina, Latvia, Marshall Islands)Constitution Day is a holiday to honour the constitution of a country. Constitution Day is often celebrated on the anniversary of the signing, promulgation or adoption of the constitution, or in some cases, to commemorate the change to constitutional monarchy.
Commemoration of the states of Maharashtra and Gujarat following the foundation of Samyukta Maharashtra Samiti (India):
Maharashtra DayMaharashtra Day is a state holiday in the Indian state of Maharashtra, commemorating the formation of the state of Maharashtra in India from the division of the Bombay State on 1 May 1960. Maharashtra Day is commonly associated with parades and political speec
International Sunflower Guerrilla Gardening DayGuerrilla gardening is the act of gardening – raising food, plants, or flowers – on land that gardeners do not have the legal right to cultivate, such as abandoned sites, neglected public spaces, or private property. It encompasses a diverse range of people an- Lei Day (Hawaii)Lei Day is a statewide celebration in Hawaii. The celebration begins in the morning of May first every year and continues into the next day. Lei day was established as a holiday in 1929. Each Hawaiian island has a different type of lei for its people to wear i
- International Workers' Day or Labour Day (International), and its related observances: Law Day (United States), formerly intended to counterbalance the celebration of Labour Day. (United States)On May 1 the United States officially recognizes Law Day. It is meant to reflect on the role of law in the foundation of the country and to recognize its importance for society.
International Workers' Day or Labour Day (International), and its related observances:
Loyalty Day, formerly intended to counterbalance the celebration of Labour Day. (United States)Loyalty Day is observed on May 1 in the United States, though not widely celebrated. It was proclaimed by President Dwight D. Eisenhower as a day for declaring loyalty to the United States and to acknowledge American history.
May Day (beginning of Summer) observances in the Northern hemisphere (see April 30):
Calan Mai (Wales)Calan Mai or Calan Haf, also historically called Cyntefin, is the Welsh celebration of May Day. It marks the beginning of summer and traditionally it involved festivities around bonfires, maypoles, and carol singing. Some of its traditions parallel the Gaelic 
May Day (beginning of Summer) observances in the Northern hemisphere (see April 30):
Beltane (Gaelic)Beltane or Bealtaine is the Gaelic May Day festival, marking the beginning of summer. It is traditionally held on 1 May, or about midway between the spring equinox and summer solstice. Historically, it was widely observed in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of
Frequently asked questions
What is celebrated on May 1?
40 observances are celebrated on May 1 around the world: Christian feast day: Aldebrandus, Christian feast day: Amator, Christian feast day: Andeolus, Christian feast day: Aredius of Gap, Christian feast day: Asaph, Christian feast day: Augustin Schoeffler, Jean-Louis Bonnard (part of Vietnamese Martyrs). The list gathers national holidays, international days and religious or civil observances falling on this date in different countries, as recorded on Wikipedia. Some are fixed and recur on the same day every year; others depend on the local calendar. Each links to the article explaining its origin and meaning.
What happened on May 1?
45 documented historical events happened on May 1, from antiquity to the present day. The best known is this: Diocletian and Maximian retired as co-rulers of the Roman Empire, being succeeded by Galerius and Constantius Chlorus. On the same day, in another year: The Nea Ekklesia church in Constantinople, on which many later cross-in-square Eastern Orthodox churches were based, was consecrated. On Almanaccolo every event is listed in chronological order, grouped by century, and links to the Wikipedia article it comes from, so you can always read further or check the source. Alongside the events you find who was born and who died on this date, and which observances are celebrated around the world.
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