1

May Day is a tradition that has roots that date back to the Roman Empire. 'Florialia' was a festival held to honour Flora, the goddess of flowers and springtime. The tradition spread throughout Europe as land was conquered by the Romans. After England was no longer occupied, the British continued the tradition of a celebration in May. During the Middle Ages, the celebration became widely popular and was held in every town and village throughout all of Britain.

2

Maypole dancing
1930
Port Moody

3

When Canada was colonized by the British, many traditions were passed onto Canadians. One of these traditions was the celebration of May Day. The first year May Day was celebrated in Port Moody was 1930. The first Port Moody May Days were organized by the town's schoolteachers and local mothers and took place on the school grounds. In later years the Kinsmen, a service club in Port Moody, took over as organizers. Unfortunately, due to a lack of interest, May Day is no longer celebrated in Port Moody. The last celebration in Port Moody took place in 1972, but May Day is still celebrated in the surrounding communities of Port Coquitlam and New Westminster.