Title: May Content: May is the fifth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendars, coming between April and June. It has 31 days. The month of May might have been named for the Roman goddess Maia, or more likely the Roman goddess of fertility Bona Dea, whose festival was held in May. May never begins or ends on the same day of the week as any other month. May's flower is the Lily of the Valley. Its birthstone is the emerald. The meaning of the emerald is success in love. == The Month == May comes between April and June and is the fifth month of the year in the Gregorian calendar. It is one of seven months to have 31 days. In the older Roman calendar, May was the third month of the year. It is a spring month in the Northern Hemisphere and an autumn month in the Southern Hemisphere. In each hemisphere, it is the seasonal equivalent of November in the other. May is likely to have been named after the Roman goddess Maia, though there is a theory that May might have its name from the Latin "Maiores", meaning "Seniors". The same theory suggests that June would then be named from "Iuniores", meaning "Juniors". No other month of any year either begins or ends on the same day of the week as May: this month is the only one that has both of these properties. In common years, May starts on the same day of the week as August of the previous year, and in leap years, March and November of the previous year. In common years, May finishes on the same day of the week as August and November of the previous year, and in leap years, March and June of the previous year. In leap years and years immediately after that, May starts on the same day of the week as February of the previous year. Every year, May both starts and finishes on the same day of the week as January of the following year, as each other's first and last days are exactly 35 weeks (245 days) apart. In years immediately before common years, May starts on the same day of the week as October of the following year, and in years immediately before leap years, April and July of the following year. In years immediately before common years, May finishes on the same day of the week as February and October of the following year, and in years immediately before leap years, July of the following year. In the Northern Hemisphere, May is in late Spring, and May Day on May 1 and Walpurgis Night, during the night of April 30 to May 1, are symbolic of the transition from winter to summer. In the Southern Hemisphere, it is in autumn, and comes just before the Antarctic winter, when emperor penguins breed there. == Events in May == Special devotions to the Virgin Mary take place in May. === Fixed Events === * May 1 - May Day in many countries. * May 1 - International Workers' Day * May 1 - Beltane (neo-Pagan culture) * May 1 - Lei Day (Hawaii) * May 1 - Constitution Day in Latvia and the Marshall Islands * May 2 - Flag Day (Poland) * May 2 - National Education Day (Indonesia) * May 2 - Teachers' Day in Iran and Bhutan * May 3 - Constitution Day (Poland, Lithuania) * May 3 - Constitution Memorial Day (Japan) * May 3 - World Press Freedom Day * May 4 - Unofficial Star Wars Day * May 4 - International Firefighters' Day * May 4 - Youth Day in China and Fiji * May 4 - Greenery Day (Japan) * May 4 - Remembrance of the Dead (Netherlands) * May 5 - Children's Day in Japan and South Korea * May 5 - Cinco de Mayo (Mexico and United States) * May 5 - Liberation Day in the Netherlands and Denmark * May 5 - Coronation Day (Thailand) * May 5 - Europe Day * May 6 - International No Diet Day * May 6 - Teacher's Day (Jamaica) * May 6 - Saint George's Day (Eastern Orthodox countries) * May 7 - Radio Day in Russia and Bulgaria * May 8 - Victory in Europe Day, marking end of World War II in Europe * May 8 - International Red Cross and Red Crescent Day * May 8 - Parents' Day (South Korea) * May 8 - Harry S. Truman Day (Missouri) * May 8 - Miguel Hidalgo's Birthday (Mexico) * May 9 - Victory and Peace Day (Armenia) * May 9 - Victory Day (former Soviet Union countries), marking end of World War II in Europe * May 9 - Independence Day (Romania) * May 10 - Confederate Memorial Day (North Carolina and South Carolina) * May 10 - Constitution Day (Federated States of Micronesia) * May 10 - Mother's Day (Mexico, Guatemala, El Salvador) * May 11 - National Technology Day (India) * May 11 - Statehood Day (Minnesota) * May 12 - International Nurses Day, birthday of Florence Nightingale * May 12 - Johan Vilhelm Snellman Day (Finland) * May 16 - National Day (South Sudan) * May 16 - Teachers' Day (Malaysia) * May 17 - Constitution Day, National Day of Norway * May 17 - Constitution Day (Nauru) * May 17 - Liberation Day (Democratic Republic of the Congo) * May 17 - International Day Against Homophobia and Transphobia * May 17 - Navy Day (Argentina) * May 17 - National Famine Memorial Day (Ireland) * May 17 - Galician Literature Day * May 18 - International Museum Day * May 18 - Independence Day (Somaliland) * May 18 - Battle of Las Piedras Day (Uruguay) * May 19 - Youth and Sports Day (Turkey) * May 19 - Genocide Memorial Day (Greece) * May 19 - Ho Chi Minh's Birthday (Vietnam) * May 19 - Malcolm X Day (United States) * May 20 - Independence Day (Cuba) * May 20 - Independence Day (East Timor) * May 21 - Navy Day (Chile) * May 21 - Independence Day (Montenegro) * May 21 - Saint Helena Day * May 21 - Day of Patriots and the Military (Hungary) * May 22 - Republic Day (Sri Lanka) * May 22 - Unity Day (Yemen) * May 22 - National Sovereignty Day (Haiti) * May 22 - International Day of Biological Diversity * May 22 - Harvey Milk Day (California) * May 23 - Birthday of Guru Amar Das (Sikhism) * May 23 - Declaration of the Bab (Baha'i faith) * May 23 - Labour Day (Jamaica) * May 23 - Students' Day (Mexico) * May 23 - World Turtle Day * May 24 - Battle of Pichincha Day (Ecuador) * May 24 - Bermuda Day * May 24 - Commonwealth Day (Belize) * May 24 - Independence Day (Eritrea) * May 24 - Aldersgate Day (Methodism) * May 24 - National Patriots Day (Quebec) * May 25 - Africa Day * May 25 - Geek Pride Day * May 25 - Independence Day (Jordan) * May 25 - Liberation Day (Lebanon) * May 25 - National Day (Argentina) * May 26 - Independence Day (Georgia) * May 26 - Independence Day (Guyana) * May 26 - Crown Prince's Birthday (Denmark) * May 26 - Mother's Day (Poland) * May 26 - National Sorry Day (Australia) * May 28 - Independence Day (Armenia) * May 28 - Independence Day (Azerbaijan) * May 28 - Republic Day (Nepal) * May 28 - Flag Day (Philippines) * May 28 - Armed Forces Day (Croatia) * May 30 - Anguilla Day * May 30 - Canary Islands Day * May 31 - Anti-Tobacco Day === Moveable and Monthlong Events === * In the United Kingdom, May Day is May 1, but a public holiday is held on the first Monday in May. * In the United States, Canada and Australia, Mother's Day is the second Sunday in May. * In the United States, Memorial Day, a public holiday, is on May 30, but is observed on the last Monday in May. * Spring Bank Holiday in the United Kingdom, last Monday in May * Eastern Orthodox Easter, between April 4 and May 8 * Ascension Day (Western Christianity), between April 30 and June 3 * Pentecost, between May 10 and June 13 in Western Christianity and between May 23 and June 26 in Eastern Orthodox Christianity * Corpus Christi (Western Christianity) between May 21 and June 24 * Victoria Day (Canada), Monday on or before May 24 * Giro d'Italia (Cycling) * World Snooker Championship, late April, early May * Monaco Grand Prix, traditionally the most important race of the Formula One season * French Open (Tennis), late May, early June * The Eurovision Song Contest is generally held in May * Marathon races: **Belfast, Northern Ireland, UK **Cleveland, Ohio, US **Copenhagen, Denmark **Edinburgh, Scotland, UK **Ottawa, Canada **Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, US **Prague, Czech Republic **Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada