How a Pagan Celebration Became a Revolutionary Symbol | History's Headlines

What do ancient fertility rituals, medieval village dances, Puritan crackdowns, and labour strikes have in common? May Day.

In this episode, we trace the surprising journey of May 1st — from its pagan roots in Beltane and bonfires, to the colourful folk traditions of Maypole dancing, to its radical reinvention as International Workers’ Day. Along the way, we’ll meet Puritans who tried to ban it, revolutionaries who turned it into a political symbol, and the everyday people who kept it alive in one form or another for over a thousand years.

This is the story of a holiday that’s been many things — sacred, subversive, and celebratory — but never easy to erase.

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