On this site you'll find more information on the history and celebrations of May Day along with other videos depicting the traditional dances that can be found across England.

Beltane is an ancient Gaelic festival celebrated in parts of Ireland, Scotland and England with roots connected to May Day; however, you will see in the collection of pictures that Beltane is the darker side of the springtime holiday. Since 1988, Edinburgh has hosted the Beltane Fire Festival where 1,000s of participants and spectators come to watch the story of the May Queen as well as a staging of the Green Man’s death and rebirth.

“A Doll, a mill, a tulip tulip tulip and a wooden shoe!” This little poem was sung to me the first time I stayed with my lovely Dutch family and, from what I’ve been told, it’s a quintessential list of all-things-Dutch. You can’t go very far in the Netherlands without seeing one of these items and now that spring has sprung, tulips are at the height of importance. According to their website, Keukenhof is “the place to see spring blossom,” and that wouldn’t be too difficult to achieve, what with over 4.5 million tulips and another 7 million flower varieties to view and smell in full bloom.

As the largest bulb flower park in the world, Keukenhof is located in between Amsterdam and Le Havre, a destination you can reach by bus or car. A ticket into the park costs a fair 14.50€ but the 9 miles of footpaths within approximately 80 acres of land will surely provide you much to explore on foot, by bike or by boat.

The down side of this park is that it’s only open March 22 to May 20 as its great attraction is the flowers in bloom. If you can’t get there fast enough to see the display this year, think of adding it to your itinerary for future trips as the park is open the same duration every year.

For more information, visit Keukenhof

Julie Fishman provides pictures and mini-explanations that will jump start your May Day search.

May Day is Lei Day in Hawai'i

Garlands of flowers everywhere
All of the colors in the rainbow
Maidens with blossoms in their hair
Flowers that mean we should be happy
Throwing aside a load of care
Oh, May Day is Lei Day in Hawai'i
May Day is happy day out there.

- Red Hawke, 1928

Though most of us will associate May 1st with May Day, all throughout Hawaii, Lei Day is the holiday to be celebrated. The idea was first conceived in 1927 as a holiday to celebrate the Hawaiian tradition of making and wearing lei but the holiday has since blossomed throughout the Hawaiian Islands to represent sharing spirit and affection with your loved ones.

From the link below, you will find the Hawaiian Vacation Blog which will give you stunning pictures of hand-crafted lei as well as information on traditions dating back to the first Lei Day celebration

There are many ways to see “The City of Light;” however, if you’re a fan of Hemingway’s A Moveable Feast, Rebecca Dolan has outlined a guide (including directions!) to help you find many of the writer’s hotspots throughout the novel. Though some may be externally altered, the heart and soul of these locations remain.

You know I love you and wouldn't want to say anything against you to hurt your feelings; but, it looks like you've just been nominated as the country with the with the world's rudest people...

Read on to see an article by Tara Kelly of the Huffington Post.

Lonely Planet offers travelers insight into some of the lesser knows but equally remarkable landmarks scattered throughout the city. Have a look at their list…have you been to these places?

The Escolania, Montserrat Boy’s Choir, is one of the oldest in Europe and they sing everyday at 1pm in the basilica. Between the ages of 9 and 14, their voices are that of angels with their sound resonating over the hushed 2,000+ audience breathlessly listening.

Visit Video and Music Clips for videos of the Escolania and the Gallery for pictures of Montserrat, the Abbey and Basilica. You can easily locate the videos and pictures under the "Spain" category.

As for traditions on St. George’s Day in Catalonia, this holiday is celebrated like our St. Valentine’s Day as a day for lovers. In tradition, a male will present roses to his lover and the lady then reciprocates with a book.  Recently, the exchange of gifts is done by either partner. Why a book? Authors Cervantes and William Shakespeare are rumored to have both died on the 23rd of April (some say Cervantes died two weeks earlier than Shakespeare but the specificity of calendars between England and Spain is unknown).

Just as Ireland has St. Patrick, England has St. George. As the patron saint of England, St. George has religious roots that have grown into somewhat mythical stories. Mainly known for the romanticized account of slaying the dragon, St. George is also considered one of the most renowned military saints as English Crusaders wore his sign (a red cross on a white background) into battle.

In lieu of heavy drinking and parading about in red and white, this holiday is much quieter as celebrants wear a red rose in the hole of their lapel, though its popularity is on the rise as Englishmen are trying to get this holiday into a nationally recognized holiday.

St. George is also the patron saint of scouting. Woo scouting!

Click here to learn more about St. George and this holiday!