May Day

American  

noun

1. the first day of May, long celebrated with various festivities, as the crowning of the May queen, dancing around the Maypole, and, in recent years, often marked by labor parades and political demonstrations.

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May Day British  

noun

1. 1. the first day of May, traditionally a celebration of the coming of spring: in some countries now observed as a holiday in honour of workers

   2. ( as modifier )

      May-Day celebrations

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Etymology

Origin of May Day

First recorded in 1225–75; Middle English

Compare meaning

How does may-day compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• May Day vs. Labor Day

Example Sentences

It meant the Met had to stage one of its most significant public order policing operations since the May Day riots of the early 2000s.

From BBC • May 16, 2026

Most markets were closed across Europe and Asia for May Day, marking a quiet end to a frantic week of tech earnings and central bank decisions.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 1, 2026

University presidents such as Kingman Brewster Jr. and A. Bartlett Giamatti, for example, spoke out about the Vietnam War, the Black Panthers and May Day protests.

From Salon • Nov. 8, 2025

The Halloween Indicator suggests stronger stock market returns from Halloween to May Day, with the Dow averaging 5.3% annually in winter versus 1.9% in summer.

From Barron's • Oct. 27, 2025

Although by the end of May Day I look like someone dumped a huge basket of trash on top of me.

From "Wishtree" by Katherine Applegate