Exert from Wikipedia.com [link]
The Floralia, also known as the Florifertum, was an ancient Roman festival dedicated to the goddess Flora. It was held on April 27 to May 3 and symbolized the renewal of the cycle of life, marked with dancing, drinking, and flowers. The Floralia was on the IV Kalends May. Dedicated to Flora, the goddess of flowers and vegetation, this day was considered by the prostitutes of Rome to be their own. While flowers decked the temples, Roman citizens wore colorful clothing instead of the usual white, and offerings were made of milk and honey to Flora.

Recent Festivals: Since the fall of the Roman Empire, the greatest Floralia festival thrown takes place at Connecticut College, a small liberal arts college in the Northeast. Each year in early May, the Student Activities Council and the Student Government Association sponsor the event. It is a day of endless music, food, drinks, and relaxation. A typical Floralia day actually begins the night before of the event; Conn students flood "the library green" with all sorts of couches, tables, chairs, tents, and other outdoor related furniture. On the morning of Floralia, at around 8 or 9 am, students wake up and begin the day with a Mimosa (cocktail), or some other type of drink, maybe a "shower beer", and eventually some breakfast. Within an hour or two, Connecticut College students line the green with endless coolers filled with beer, vodka, tequila, mixed drinks, malt liquor, etc. Campus Safety "tends" to look the other way, truly granting the students with a reward for a semester of work. Music is performed live all day long by various bands, ranging from student bands to the more well known. Around 9pm, one or two headliner bands perform, causing a mass amount of students to rush to the dancing area. Some recent headliners include Reel Big Fish, Girl Talk (musician), and Ok Go. Overall, the day is action packed and usually a muddled blur by the next morning.