- This article is about the month of May. For other uses, see May (disambiguation).
May is the fifth month of the year in the Gregorian Calendar and one of seven Gregorian months with the length of 31 days.
May begins (astrologically) with the sun in the sign of Taurus and ends in the sign of Gemini. Astronomically speaking, the sun begins in the constellation of Aries and ends in the constellation of Taurus.
The month may have been named for the Greek goddess Maia, who was identified with the Roman goddess of fertility, Bona Dea, whose festival was held in May.
In old Japanese calendar, the month is called Satsuki (皐月). It is also a common name for females. In Japan, there is the so-called May sickness , a kind of sickness where new students or workers start to be tired of their new schoolwork or jobs. It is due to a Japanese custom that all schoolyears and fiscal years start on April 1st.
Events in May
- In the pagan wheel of the year May begins at or near Bealtaine 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.
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Eastern Christianity celebrates Easter on a Sunday between April 4 and May 8.
- In Western Europe May 8 is day of victory in WWII. In Eastern Europe it is celebrated in May 9.
- In Europe May 9 is day of Europe
- In Kentucky, United States, the Kentucky Derby is held on the first Saturday in May.
- In the US, Canada and Australia, Mother's Day is the second Sunday in May.
- In Canada, Victoria Day is observed on the Monday on or before May 24. In Quebec, it is known as Patriotes Day (Journée nationale des patriotes).
- In the US, Memorial Day, a public holiday, is on May 31, but observed on the last Monday in May.
- In Argentina, the May Revolution (or Revolución de Mayo), a national holiday, is on May 25.
Trivia
- No other month begins on the same day as May.
- May's flower is the hawthorn.
- May's birthstone is the emerald.
- No President of the United States has ever died in May (The only month with no presidential deaths)
See also
External links
