May Day Fast Facts - CNN.com (CNN) -- Here's a look at what you need to know about May Day, referred to as International Workers Day in many countries. Facts: Celebrated on the first day of May. A holiday celebrating spring and/or working people. It is also often used as a day of civil protest. History: The origins of May Day may go back to the Druids' tree worship or to the spring festivals of ancient Egypt and India. Another theory ties the holiday to the Roman festival of Floralia, a festival that honored Flora, the goddess of springtime. As Rome conquered other countries, the tradition spread. In Medieval England, May Day celebrations centered on the maypole, which is a pole made from a tree, decorated with flowers and streamers, which is held by dancers circling the pole. Puritans in the United Stated looked down on May Day. As a result, the holiday is not celebrated as extensively in the United States. International Workers Day: 1889 - A meeting of world Socialist parties in Paris vote to support the U.S. labor movement's demands for an eight-hour work-day. May 1, 1890 - Chosen as a day of demonstrations in support of the eight-hour work day.