May - Definition and Overview

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 in Taurus and ends in Gemini.

In the wheel of the year May begins at or near Bealtaine in the northern hemisphere and a few days before the midpoint between spring equinox and summer solstice. In the southern hemisphere it has a corresponding position with respect to Samhain, between autumn equinox and winter solstice.

History

The month may have been named for the Roman goddess Maia or more likely for the Roman goddess of fertility, Bona Dea, whose festival was held in May.

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 many countries, May Day is May 1. This is celebrated as Labor Day in many countries.
• 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 the United Kingdom, May Day is May 1, but a public holiday is held on the first Monday in May.
• 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 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.

See also

• Historical anniversaries