Fifth month in the Julian and Gregorian calendars
May is the fifth month of the year in the
Julian and
Gregorian calendars . Its length is 31 days.
May is a month of
spring in the Northern Hemisphere, and
autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. Therefore, May in the
Southern Hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent of
November in the Northern Hemisphere and vice versa. Late May typically marks the start of the summer vacation season in the United States (
Memorial Day ) and Canada (
Victoria Day ) that ends on
Labour Day , the first Monday of September.
May (in
Latin ,
Maius ) was named for the
Greek goddess
Maia , who was identified with the
Roman era
goddess of fertility,
Bona Dea , whose
festival was held in May. Conversely, the Roman poet
Ovid provides a second etymology, in which he says that the month of May is named for the maiores, Latin for "elders," and that the following month (June) is named for the iuniores, or "young people" (Fasti VI.88 ).
Mayapples blooming. Common name given due to the plant's tendency to bloom in the month of May.
Special devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary take place in May
Eta Aquariids meteor shower appears in May. It is visible from about April 21 to about May 20 each year with peak activity on or around May 6. The
Arietids shower from May 22 – July 2, and peaks on June 7. The
Virginids also shower at various dates in May.
Ancient Roman observances
Under the calendar of ancient Rome, the festival of
Bona Dea fell on May 1,
Argei fell on May 14 or May 15,
Agonalia fell on May 21, and
Ambarvalia on May 29.
Floralia was held April 27 during the
Republican era , or April 28 on the
Julian calendar , and lasted until May 3.
Lemuria (festival) fell on 9,11, and 13 May under the Julian calendar. The
College of Aesculapius and Hygia celebrated two festivals of
Rosalia (festival) , one on May 11 and one on May 22. Rosalia was also celebrated at
Pergamon on May 24–26. A military Rosalia festival,
Rosaliae signorum , also occurred on May 31.
Ludi Fabarici was celebrated May 29 – June 1.
Mercury would receive a sacrifice on the Ides of May (May 15).
Tubilustrium took place on May 23 as well as in March. These dates do not correspond to the modern
Gregorian calendar .[
citation needed ]
Symbols
Emerald brooch May's birthstone is the
emerald which is emblematic of love and success. Birth flowers are the
Lily of the Valley and
Crataegus monogyna .
[1] Both are native throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere in Asia, Europe, and in the southern Appalachian Mountains in the United States, but have been naturalized throughout the temperate climatic world.
The
Lily of the Valley
Crataegus monogyna
Mayflowers The "Mayflower"
Epigaea repens is a North American harbinger of May, and the floral emblem of both
Nova Scotia and
Massachusetts . Its native range extends from Newfoundland south to Florida, west to Kentucky in the southern range, and to Northwest Territories in the north. The
zodiac signs are
Taurus (until May 20) and
Gemini (May 21 onward).
[2]
[3]
Observances
Month-long
United States
The green ribbon is the international symbol of mental health awareness.
Non-Gregorian
(All Baha'i, Islamic, and Jewish observances begin at the sundown prior to the date listed, and end at sundown of the date in question unless otherwise noted.)
Movable, 2019
Western Christian
Labour Day: May 1
Sunday after Divine Mercy Sunday: May 5
Monday and Tuesday in the week following the third Sunday of Easter: May 6–7
Fourth Sunday after Easter: May 12
Fourth Friday after Easter: May 17
Third Sunday of May: May 19
Sunday preceding the Rogation days: May 26
Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday preceding Feast of the Ascension: May 27–29
39 days after Easter: May 30
Eastern Christian
Wednesday after Pascha: May 1
Thursday after Pascha: May 2
Friday after Pascha: May 3
Saturday after Pascha: May 4
8th day after Pascha: May 5
2nd Tuesday of Pascha, or 2nd Monday of Pascha, depending on region: May 6 or May 7
2nd Sunday following Pascha: May 12
4th Sunday of Pascha: May 26
Wednesday after the Sunday of the Paralytic: May 29
Movable civic
Last Friday in April to the first Sunday in May
First Thursday
First Saturday
First Sunday
First full week
Tuesday of First full week
Wednesday of first full week
Second week in May
First Tuesday
Friday preceding Second Sunday in May
Saturday closest to May 10
Second Saturday
Second Weekend
Second Sunday
National Nursing Home Week (United States)
Children's Day (Spain)
Father's Day (Romania)
Mother's Day (
Anguilla , Aruba, Australia, Austria, Bahamas, Barbados, Bangladesh, Belgium, Belize, Bermuda,
Bonaire , Brazil, Brunei, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Cuba, Croatia,
Curaçao , Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Grenada, Honduras,
Hong Kong , Iceland, India, Italy, Jamaica, Japan, Latvia, Malta, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Slovakia, South Africa, Suriname, Switzerland, Taiwan, Trinidad and Tobago, Turkey, United States, Uruguay, Venezuela, Zimbabwe)
State Flag and State Emblem Day (Belarus)
World Fair Trade Day
Third Weekend, including Friday
Third Friday
Third Saturday
Third Sunday
Monday on or before May 24
Third Monday
Monday on or before May 25
Last Monday preceding May 25
May 24, or the nearest weekday if May 24 falls on a weekend
Saturday closest to May 30
Last Weekend
Last Sunday
Last Monday
Last Wednesday
Last Thursday
Fixed
May, from the
Très Riches Heures du Duc de Berry
May ,
Leandro Bassano
Rosa chinensis , the flower symbol of May
April 29 to
May 5 in Japan, which includes four different holidays, is called "
Golden Week ". Many workers have up to 10 days off. There is also 'May sickness', where new students or workers start to be tired of their new routine. (In Japan the
school year and
fiscal year start on April 1.)
Mayovka , in the context of the late
Russian Empire , was a
picnic in the countryside or in a park in the early days of May, hence the name. Eventually, "mayovka" (specifically, "proletarian mayovka") came to mean an illegal celebration of
May 1 by revolutionary public, typically presented as an innocent picnic.
[37]
May 1
May 2
May 3
May 4
May 5
May 6
May 7
May 8
May 9
Anniversary of Dianetics (
Church of Scientology )
Europe Day (
European Union )
Liberation Day (
Guernsey ), commemorating the end of the
German occupation of the Channel Islands during World War II.
Liberation Day (Jersey) , commemorating the end of the
German occupation of the Channel Islands during World War II.
Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the Second World War , continued from May 8.
Victory Day observances, celebration of the
Soviet Union victory over
Nazi Germany (
Soviet Union ,
Azerbaijan ,
Belarus ,
Bosnia and Herzegovina ,
Georgia ,
Israel ,
Kazakhstan ,
Kyrgyzstan ,
Moldova ,
Russia ,
Serbia ,
Tajikistan ,
Turkmenistan ,
Uzbekistan )
Victory Day over Nazism in World War II (Ukraine)
Victory and Peace Day (Armenia) marks both the
capture of Shusha (1992) in the
First Nagorno-Karabakh War , and the end of World War II.
May 10
May 11
May 12
May 13
May 14
May 15
May 16
May 17
May 18
May 19
May 20
May 21
May 22
May 23
May 24
May 25
May 26
May 27
May 28
May 29
May 30
May 31
See also
References
Wikiquote has quotations related to
May .
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
May .
Look up
May in Wiktionary, the free dictionary.
^
"U101 College Search" . shgresources.com . Archived from
the original on 2012-09-11.
^ The Earth passed the junction of the signs at 13:49 UT/GMT May 20, 2020, and will pass it again at 19:37 UT/GMT May 20, 2021.
^
"Astrology Calendar" , yourzodiacsign . Signs in UT/GMT for 1950–2030.
^
"May is Better Hearing & Speech Month" . asha.org .
^
"Raise CF Awareness" . cff.org . Archived from
the original on 2014-04-19. Retrieved 2014-04-18 .
^
"What Can I Do for May Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Awareness Month?" . www.lifewitheds.com . Archived from
the original on 2016-04-20. Retrieved 2016-04-30 .
^
"May is Garden for Wildlife Month" . nwf.org . Archived from
the original on 2014-06-03. Retrieved 2014-05-28 .
^
"Raising awareness of Huntington's Disease" . Archived from
the original on 2019-05-02. Retrieved 2019-05-02 .
^
"International Mediterranean Diet Month" . oldwayspt.org .
^ Cactuslab.
"NZ Music Month 2015 — Official Site" . nzmusicmonth.co.nz .
^
"National Pet Month – promoting responsible pet ownership across the UK" . nationalpetmonth.org.uk .
^
"Skin Cancer Awareness Month Reminder" . skincancer.org . Archived from
the original on 2015-05-11. Retrieved 2015-05-11 .
^
"World Trade Month" . Archived from
the original on 2014-07-21. Retrieved 2014-05-28 .
^ Frank Ranieri.
"Miles for Hope is now Brain Tumor Alliance" . milesforhope.org . Archived from
the original on 2013-04-15.
^
"Hamburgers and Purifiers for All | we really do eat massive hamburgers!" . Archived from
the original on 2014-05-17. Retrieved 2014-05-28 .
^
"Denver's Best Burgers – Celebrate National Burger Month with the Mile High City's 25 tastiest beef-and-bun combos" . 5280 Magazine . Retrieved 24 April 2019 .
^
"Community Action Awareness Month" . nd.gov . Archived from
the original on 2015-05-18.
^
"Electrical Safety Foundation International" . esfi.org .
^
"National Foster Care Month 2015: Building Blocks Toward Permanent Families" . childwelfare.gov .
^
"National Golf Month at Mipins" . nationalgolfmonth.com .
^
"May is Hepatitis Awareness Month" . cdc.gov . 2 April 2021.
^
"NATIONAL MILITARY APPRECIATION MONTH 2005" . nmam.org . Archived from
the original on 2008-09-14. Retrieved 2009-01-14 .
^ McGuire, Holly; Keil, Kathryn (2010).
Chase's 2010 Calendar of Events . McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
^
"National Osteoporosis Foundation" . nof.org .
^
"Stroke Awareness Resource Center" . Stroke.org .
^
"National Water Safety Month" . nationalwatersafetymonth.org .
^
GovTrack.us: Tracking the U.S. Congress [
dead link ]
^
"National Small Business Week Virtual Summit" . National Small Business Week Virtual Summit . Retrieved 2021-07-28 .
^ US Department of Commerce, NOAA.
"Social Media: Hurricane Preparedness Week, May 5-11, 2019" . www.weather.gov . Retrieved 2021-07-28 .
^
"New Zealand Sign Language Week" . Archived from
the original on 2018-05-06. Retrieved 2018-05-05 .
^
"green office week" . US Forest Service . Retrieved 2021-07-28 .
^
"Walk Safely to School Day, 2020" . Walking SA . Retrieved 2021-07-28 .
^
"EMS Week" . www.acep.org . Retrieved 2021-07-28 .
^
"2019 Greater Victoria Bike to Work Week" . Go By Bike BC . Archived from
the original on 2019-05-01. Retrieved 2019-05-01 .
^ U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
"U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service – Endangered Species Day" . fws.gov . Archived from
the original on 2015-05-09. Retrieved 2015-05-15 .
^
"NATIONAL PIZZA PARTY DAY – Third Friday in May" .
National Day Calendar . 4 February 2024.
^
"Маевки" . homofestivus.ru . Archived from
the original on 2015-05-18. Retrieved 2015-05-15 .
^
"Ceremony at "Wedding of the Rails," May 10, 1869 at Promontory Point, Utah" .
World Digital Library . 1869-05-10. Retrieved 2013-07-20 .
^
"IDAHOT Forum 2018 - Lisboa | From global to local politics: Equality everywhere, for everyone" . www.cig.gov.pt . 10 February 2018. Retrieved 2019-12-14 .