A lot happened, right? This was because, in May, several layers of Roman life overlapped at once with their rituals and traditions: agriculture, religion, trade, family rituals, military symbolism, and even fear of the dead, all found space inside the calendar. And like much of Roman culture, everything could move very quickly from joyful to unsettling without anyone batting an eye.
Back then, May had the same atmosphere of renewal that we associate with it today. The most popular celebration spilling into the beginning of the month was the Floralia, a festival dedicated to Flora, goddess of flowers and blossoming plants.
