Floralia: The Roman May Day Festival

The Romans had a celebration for just about everything. Certainly, any Roman deity worth their salt got a holiday of their own, and Flora was no exception. Because FLOWERS AND PROSTITUTES, y’all.

I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot in my heart for Flora. She was the goddess of spring flowers and vegetation, and one of many fertility goddesses. In fact, she was so well respected as a fertility deity that she was often seen as a the patron deity of Roman prostitutes. You guys, she was the goddess of sex workers! How cool is that?

Flora’s holiday, the Floralia, originated around 235 b.c.e. It was believed that a good festival ensured that Flora would protect the blooming flowers around the city. At some point the celebration was discontinued–but that policy clearly took its toll when wind and hail did some serious damage to the flowers of Rome. In 173 b.c.e., the Senate reinstated the holiday, and renamed it the Ludi Floralis, which included public games and theatrical performances.

Because of Flora’s association with the ladies of the world’s oldest profession, Rome’s prostitutes were actively involved in the performances during the celebration. Naked dancing! Naked mock gladiatorial fights! Naked chariot races! No kidding, this sounds like an amazing party–the Romans knew how to celebrate.

Oxford professor and anthropologist E.O. James discusses the Maypole and its connection to Roman traditions in his 1962 article, The Influence of Folklore On the History of Religion. James suggests that trees were stripped of their leaves and limbs, and then decorated with garlands of ivy, vines and flowers as part of the festival of Floralia.

Spring Flowers image by Mike Mozart, Creative Commons (CC BY 2.0) via Flickr