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 fell on 9,11, and 13 May under the Julian calendar. The College of Aesculapius and Hygia celebrated two festivals of Rosalia, 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.

Symbols

May's birthstone is the emerald, which is emblematic of love and success. Birth flowers are the Lily of the Valley and Crataegus monogyna. 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 "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).

Observances

Month-long

Working class history month

Better Hearing and Speech Month

In Catholic tradition, May is the Month of the Blessed Virgin Mary. See May devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary

Flores de Mayo (Philippines)

Borderline personality disorder awareness month

Celiac Awareness Month

Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month

Ehlers–Danlos Syndrome Awareness month

Garden for Wildlife month

Huntington's Disease Awareness Month (International)

International Mediterranean Diet Month

Kaamatan harvest festival (Labuan, Sabah)

New Zealand Music Month (New Zealand)

National Pet Month (United Kingdom)

National Smile Month (United Kingdom)

Season of Emancipation (April 14 to August 23) (Barbados)

Skin Cancer Awareness Month

South Asian Heritage Month (International)

World Trade Month

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

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.)

List of observances set by the Bahá'í calendar

List of observances set by the Chinese calendar

List of observances set by the Hebrew calendar

List of observances set by the Islamic calendar

List of observances set by the Solar Hijri calendar

Movable

Phi Ta Khon (Dan Sai, Loei province, Isan, Thailand) Dates are selected by village mediums and can take place anywhere between March and July.

National Small Business Week (United States): May 5–11

National Hurricane Preparedness Week (United States): May 5–11

New Zealand Sign Language Week: May 6–12

Green Office Week (Britain, United States): May 13–17

Walk Safely to School Day (Australia): May 17

Emergency Medical Services Week (United States): May 19–25

Bike to Work Week Victoria (May 27 – June 2)

Special devotions to the Virgin Mary take place in May. See May devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary.

Labour Day: May 1

International Workers' Day

Sunday after Divine Mercy Sunday: May 5

Jubilate Sunday

Monday and Tuesday in the week following the third Sunday of Easter: May 6–7

Hocktide (England)

Fourth Sunday after Easter: May 12

Cantate Sunday

Good Shepherd Sunday

Fourth Friday after Easter: May 17

Movable civic

National Arbour Week (Ontario, Canada)

Arbour Day (Nova Scotia, Canada)

National Day of Prayer (United States)

National Day of Reason (United States)

Kentucky Derby

Free Comic Book Day

Green Up Day (Vermont, United States)

World Naked Gardening Day

Mother's Day (Angola, Cape Verde, Hungary, Lithuania, Mozambique, Portugal, Spain)

World Laughter Day

Children's Day (South Korea)

National Teacher Appreciation Week (United States)

North American Occupational Safety and Health Week

National Teacher Appreciation Day (United States)

Occupational Safety and Health Professional Day

National Stuttering Awareness Week (United States)

World Asthma Day

Military Spouse Day (United States)

National Public Gardens Day (United States)

National Train Day (United States)

International Migratory Bird Day (Canada, the United States, Mexico, Central and South America, and the Caribbean)

Fixed

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.

May 1

Armed Forces Day (Mauritania)

Beltane (Ireland, Neopaganism)

Constitution Day (Argentina)

Lei Day (Hawaii, United States)

May Day (International observance)

May 2

Anniversary of the Dos de Mayo Uprising (Community of Madrid, Spain)

Birth Anniversary of Third Druk Gyalpo (Bhutan)

Flag Day (Poland)

Indonesia National Education Day

May 3

Constitution Day (Poland)

Constitution Memorial Day (Japan)

Roodmas

Sun Day (International)

World Press Freedom Day