Ancient Romans, too, had their chance to bask in the joys of spring and honor the beauty of flowers through the ancient festival of Floralia. Dedicated to Flora, the goddess of flowers and blossoming plants, this festival was celebrated each year from April 28 to May 3. Over these six days, a variety of games were played and numerous shows were put on, among many other traditions.
Floralia, however, was not always this blissful extravaganza. According to Pliny the Elder’s Naturalis Historia in 238 BC, a temple was built to honor the goddess Flora based on an oracle in the Sybillene books. This oracle pushed this construction of the temple because of a three-year drought from 241 to 238 BC. Located on the Aventine Hill, the temple was located near the Circus Maximus, and was also dedicated on April 28, hence the starting date for the celebration of Floralia. This festival was soon banned after its creation with the wave of paganism taking over, and wasn’t practiced until around 173 BC again, under the consulship of Lucius Postumius Albinus Marcus Popillius Laenas, when Romans experienced a spring with few blooms due to rough weather.