Widespread celebrations welcome the month of May with a range of customs including dancing, flower decorating, May Queens and fairs. Boundaries are checked, Morris Dancing moves up a gear and there are two Bank Holidays.
Some events take place on exactly the same date every year, regardless of which day of the week they fall upon. The following table shows events which are fixed in this way:
| Day | Event | Article |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dancing in the May |  |
| 1 | Deptford Jack in the Green | |
| 1 | Dorset Ooser | |
| 1 and Weekend near 1st | Glastonbury Beltane/May Day Celebrations | |
| 1 | Islington Milkmaids Garland | |
| 1 | Laxton May Day | |
| 1 | Minehead Hobby Horse | |
| 1 | Oxford Hymn Singing | |
| 1 | Padstow May Day | |
| 1 | Southampton May Day | |
| 8 | Helston Flora Day & Furry Dance | |
| 13 | Abbotsbury Garland | |
| 25 | Durham: The Feast of the Venerable Bede | |
| 29 | Castleton Garland | |
| 29 | Great Wishford Grovely | |
| 29 | St Neot Oak Apple Day | |
Some event dates differ from year to year in order for them to fall on a weekend or during a particular week of the year, for example the 3rd week in January. The following table shows events where dates may vary in this manner:
| Date | Event | Article |
| Saturday in late April/May | Alcester Court Leet Assizes | |
| Late April to late June | Worcestershire British Asparagus Festival | |
| Saturday nearest May Eve (30th April) | Butser Betain Festival | |
| Near 1st | Charlton-on-Otmoor Garland Ceremony | |
| May - various dates | Jack in the Green | |
| A weekend in May every 20 Years | Corby Pole Fair | |
| April or May every 5 years | Bodmin Beating the Bounds & Hurling | |
| A Sunday in April or May | London The Tudor Pull | |
| A Sunday in April or May | Maldon Mud Race | |
| A Sunday in late April or early May | Swithland Wood Bluebell Service | |
| A Saturday in May or June | Geldeston Locks Dwile Flonking | |
| A Saturday in May, June or July | Ashbourne World Toe Wrestling Championship | |
| A Saturday in May or June | Kent World Custard Pie Championship | |
| A Sunday in early May or early June | Keevil Taylor Charity & Bun Service | |
| All Month | Well Dressing | |
| 1st Saturday | Bristol Jack in the Green | |
| 1st Saturday | Gawthorpe Maypole | |
| 1st Saturday | Guildford Summerpole | |
| 1st Saturday | Knutsford Royal May Day | |
| 1st Sunday | Calderdale Spaw Sunday | |
| 1st Sunday | Lambley Cowslip Sunday | |
| 1st Sunday | Penzance May Horns | |
| Saturday of May Day Bank Holiday weekend (early May) | Berwick Riding the Bounds | |
| Saturday before May Day Bank Holiday | Ely Eel Day | |
| Saturday before or after May Day Bank Holiday | Spalding Flower Parade | |
| Saturday before May Day Bank Holiday | Wath Festival & Bun Throwing | |
| Sunday before May Day Bank Holiday Monday | Blackawton International Festival of Wormcharming | |
| Sunday before May Day Bank Holiday | Dorset Knob Throwing | |
| Sunday before May Day Bank Holiday | St Agnes Bolster Day | |
| Sunday before May Day Bank Holiday | Thornborough Beltane | |
| May Day Bank Holiday Monday | Calstock May Revels | |
| May Day Bank Holiday Weekend | Hastings Jack in the Green Festival | |
| May Day Bank Holiday Weekend | Rochester Sweeps Festival | |
| May Day Bank Holiday Monday | Clun Green Man Festival | |
| May Day Bank Holiday Monday | Hungerford Crafty Craft Race | |
| May Day Bank Holiday Monday | Ickwell May Day | |
| May Day Bank Holiday Monday | Lewes Garland Day | |
| May Day Bank Holiday Monday | Kempton Park Mascot Grand National | |
| May Day Bank Holiday Monday | Millbrook, Kingsand and Cawsand Black Prince Flower Boat Procession | |
| May Day Bank Holiday Monday | Pickering Road Community Orchard May Celebrations | |
| May Day Bank Holiday Monday | Reach Fair & Penny Scramble | |
| May Day Bank Holiday Monday | Rye Mayor Making | |
| May Day Bank Holiday Monday | Whitstable Jack in the Green | |
| Tuesday following May Day Bank Holiday Monday | Hereford St Ethelbert's May Fair | |
| Thursday nearest 7th | Harpham Well Blessing | |
| 2nd Saturday | Randwick Wap | |
| 2nd Sunday | Covent Garden May Fayre & Puppet Festival | |
| Sunday early to mid Month | Shaftesbury Byzant Ceremony | |
| Sunday early to mid Month | Shaftesbury Gold Hill Cheese Race | |
| 10 (earliest possible date) | Whit Sunday | |
| Sunday nearest 11th | Hampton Wick : Bushy Park Chestnut Sunday | |
| Thursday nearest 12th | Stow Horse Fair | |
| Friday mid-month | Ely Hoop Trundle | |
| Weekend mid-Month | Lewes : Battle of Lewes Weekend | |
| Weekend mid-Month | Moulton Village Festival | |
| Saturday mid-Month | Bradford on Avon Green Man Festival | |
| Saturday mid-Month | Wakefield North of England Tulip Society Show | |
| Saturday mid-to-late-in-Month | Scorton Silver Arrow | |
| Sunday mid-Month | Meriden Cyclists Memorial | |
| Saturday nearest 17th | Burford Levellers Day | |
| 3rd Wednesday | Newbiggin Beating the Bounds & Dunting the Freeholder | |
| 3rd Thursday | Harwich Kichel Throwing | |
| 3rd Thursday | Guildford Poyle Dicing Ceremony | |
| 3rd Saturday | High Wycombe Weighing the Mayor | |
| 3rd Sunday | Alresford Watercress Festival | |
| Friday late in Month | Bedworth Bun Day | |
| A Sunday late in Month | Brixham Blessing the Fleet | |
| Last Saturday in Month | Penicuik Huntsman & Lass | |
| Saturday near 29th | Durham Nevilles Cross Anthems | |
| Saturday near 29th | Fownhope Heart of Oak Society Annual Club Walk | |
| Last Sunday in Month | Aston-on-Clun Arbor Day | |
| Last Sunday in Month | Northumberland Day | |
| Sunday near 29th | Northampton Oak Apple Day | |
| Sunday near 30th | Bawburgh St Walstan's Day | |
| Spring Bank Holiday Friday to Monday | Combe Martin Hunting the Earl of Rone | |
| Spring Bank Holiday weekend Saturday | Wirksworth Carnival & Well Dressing | |
| Spring Bank Holiday Saturday & Sunday | Blair Castle Atholl Gathering | |
| Saturday & Sunday of Spring Bank Holiday Weekend | St Germans May Tree Fair | |
| Spring Bank Holiday Sunday | Stilton Cheeserolling | |
| Spring Bank Holiday Sunday & Monday | Uffington Scouring the White Horse | |
| Spring Bank Holiday Monday | Bampton Morris | |
| Spring Bank Holiday Monday | Barwick Maypole Raising | |
| Spring Bank Holiday Monday | Charing Hooden Horse | |
| Spring Bank Holiday Monday | Coopers Hill Cheese Rolling | |
| Spring Bank Holiday Monday | Lichfield Court of Arraye & Greenhill Bower | |
| Spring Bank Holiday Monday | Manchester Whit Walk | |
| Spring Bank Holiday Monday | Tetbury Woolsack Race | |
| Spring Bank Holiday Monday | Wellow Maypole Celebrations | |
| Spring Bank Holiday Monday | Worcester Oak Apple Day | |
| Friday after Spring Bank Holiday (sometimes still in May) | Chipping Campden Cotswold Olympicks | |
| Weekday late May/early June | Barking Nepton Distribution | |
| A Sunday in late May or early June | Brightlingsea Blessing & Reclaiming of the Waters | |
| A Sunday in late May or early June | Sandford Lock World Pooh Sticks Championships | |
| A Sunday in late May or early June | Oxford Tortoise Fair | |
Ascension Day always falls on a Thursday; it is the fortieth day after Easter Sunday so can fall anywhere between 30th April and 3rd June. Rogation Monday and Tuesday, and Ascension Eve are the days leading up to Ascension Day. This period is traditionally associated with boundary checking, walks and processions.
| Date | Event | Article |
|---|---|---|
| Rogation Sunday | Leighton Buzzard Wilkes Walk | |
| Rogation Sunday | Mudeford Blessing the Waters | |
| Rogation Monday | North Shields Blessing the Sea | |
| Rogation Monday | Wishford Key Auction | |
| Ascension Eve | Hastings Blessing the Sea | |
| Ascension Eve | Whitby Penny Hedge | |
| Ascension Day | Ascension Day Rooftop Singing | |
| Ascension Day or near date | Beating the Bounds | |
| Ascension Day | Bisley Well Dressing | |
| Ascension Day | Cambridge Ascension Day Carol | |
| Ascension Day | Lichfield Beating the Bounds | |
| Ascension Day | London Beating the Bounds | |
| Ascension Day | Oxford Beating the Bounds | |
| Ascension Day | Tissington Well Dressing | |
Whitsuntide is a festival commemorating the descent of the Holy Spirit on the Disciples. It is the seventh Sunday after Easter so varies in date, always falling between mid May and mid June. Because it is easier to plan events for a fixed date each year, many former Whitsuntide events have been moved to Spring Bank Holiday instead. Trinity Sunday is the Sunday after Whitsun and celebrates the Christian doctrine of the Trinity (God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit) ; Corpus Christi is the Thursday after Trinity and honours the body of Christ. In the UK this was a major festival before the Reformation but is now comparatively little known outside the Roman Catholic Church.
| Date | Event | Article |
|---|---|---|
| Whit Sunday | Bristol Rush Sunday | |
| Whit Sunday | St Briavels Bread & Cheese Scramble | |
| Whit Sunday | Shenington Grass Strewing | |
| Whit Tuesday | St Ives (Cambs) Dicing for Bibles | |
| Whit Friday | Saddleworth Whit Friday | |
| Trinity Monday | Rothwell Rowell Trinity Fair | |
| Corpus Christi | Arundel Corpus Chisti Carpet of Flowers | |