In ancient Rome, the beautiful month of May was dedicated to the goddess Flora, the patroness of flowers and new life. May 1 was considered the beginning of abundant growth, and a day for public festivals aimed at expelling winter. Even after Christianity took hold, the customs of the pagan feast lingered behind.
Long ago, there was a thirty-day devotion to Mary, sometimes called “Lady Month,” which began on August 15. By the eighteenth century, the custom of assigning devotions to months of the year was developing. June, for example, was the month of the Sacred Heart, and October was for the Holy Rosary. Beginning with the Jesuit Order in Rome and spreading throughout the world, May has been celebrated as the month of Mary, the Blessed Mother, for more than two hundred years.
That was a welcome remedy to some enduring pagan practices, such as maypole dancing and the crowning of the May Queen. Some historians say that in ancient times the May Queen was actually a human sacrifice. Devoting May to Mary is undoubtedly a better thing to do.