May is the fifth
month of the
year in the
Gregorian Calendar and one of seven
Gregorian months with the length of 31 days. It is also a month
within the northern
season of
spring.
The month May has been 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).
In both common Western calendrical systems, no other month begins
on the same day of the week as May. This month and June are the
only two months that have this trait. (See:
Months in various
calendars)
Events in May
- In the Roman Catholic calendar,
May 1 is the feast of St. Joseph the worker. In the Catholic Church the month of May is
dedicated to and honors the Blessed
Virgin Mary.
- In the neopagan Wheel of the Year May begins on Beltane in the northern hemisphere and Samhain in the southern hemisphere.
- In the Irish calendar May 1 is Beltane (Bealtaine),
the first day of Summer, and a public holiday
is held on the first Monday in May.
- In many countries, May Day is May 1. This is celebrated as Labor Day in many countries.
- In the
United
Kingdom
, May Day is May 1, but a public holiday is held on the first
Monday in May.
- In
Germany
it is an old custom to plant a "Maypole" to honor someone. Often young men
set up an adorned birch in front of their
girlfriend's house in the night before May 1.
- In
Japan
, the period from April 29
to May 5, which includes 4 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 schoolyear and
fiscal year start on April 1st)
- 3rd
May the Polish Constitution Day is Celebrate in Poland
.
- The
first Saturday in May is the date of the annual Kentucky Derby, the most famous horse race in the United States
.
- May
4th in the
Netherlands
is the day
of Remembrance of the Dead,
commemorating all the casualties in military conflicts involving the
Netherlands.
- Cinco de Mayo or
the Batalla de Puebla is celebrated
in Mexico
on May 5. It is also celebrated widely in the United States
.
- May
5th is the Children's Day in Japan
, Korea
and China
- May
5th is Liberation Day in the
Netherlands
, celebrating
the ending of the German
occupation.
- In the Europe May 5
is Europe Day (uncommon usage, largely
replaced by May 9)
- In Western Europe May 8 is VE Day.
In Eastern Europe it is celebrated on
May 9.
- In the European Union May 9 is Europe Day
- Golden Spike Day
(1869 - Completion of the First Transcontinental
Railroad - Promontory Summit
, Utah)
- On May 12, International
Nurses Day is celebrated.
- Finland's Day in Finland
on the 12th of May.
- May 12 is also International Awareness Day for Chronic
Immunological and Neurological Diseases (CIND). These diseases
include Neurofibromatosis, Chronic Fatigue Immune Dysfunction
Syndrome (CFIDS)/Myalgic Encephalomyelitis,
Fibromyalgia, Gulf War Syndrome and Multiple Chemical
Sensitivity.
- On May 17, the Norwegian
Constitution Day is celebrated.
- In
Chile
, the Battle of
Iquique (Combate Naval de Iquique), is celebrated on May 21, and it is a national holiday.
- Eritrea
celebrates its Independence Day (Independence from
Ethiopia) on May 24.
- In
Ecuador
, May 24 is remembered and celebrated as the day of
the Battle of Pichincha - May 24, 1823.
- In
Argentina
, the May Revolution
(or Revolución de Mayo), a national holiday, is on May 25.
- Towel Day is celebrated in May in
tribute to Douglas Adams, author of
The
Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy.
- Under the French Ancien
Régime, it was of habit to "plant a May" or a "tree of May" in
the honor of somebody. The County of Nice
saw girls
and boys "turn the May" with the sound of fife and drum,
i.e. to dance rounds of May around the tree of May planted on
the place of the village.
- The
second Sunday in May is Mother's Day in
the United
States
.
- Each year in May, the Eurovision Song Contest is
held.
- The
Indianapolis
500
is held on the Sunday before
Memorial Day.
- Labor Day in
Queensland
, Australia is celebrated
on the 1st Monday in May.
- In
Canada
, Victoria Day is celebrated on the last Monday
on or before May 24.
- The
last Monday of May is Memorial Day in
the United
States
first celebrated on May 5, 1866 in Waterloo,
New York
.
Monthlong events in May
Weeklong Events in May
3rd Week in May
May Moving Events
First or second Friday
First Saturday
Second Sunday
- Is
Mother's Day in 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
, Peru
, Philippines
, Puerto Rico, Singapore
, Slovakia
, South Africa, Suriname
, Switzerland
, Taiwan
, Trinidad and
Tobago
, Turkey
, United States
, Uruguay
, Venezuela
, Zimbabwe
.
Second Saturday
Third Saturday is the Preakness, second jewel in the triple crown
of horse racing.Last Monday
Last Sunday
May symbols
See also
References
External links