May 1-31:Asian Pacific American Heritage Month. Designated by presidential proclamation to celebrate the collective accomplishments of Asian Pacific Americans, who comprise many ethnic groups with diverse backgrounds, histories, languages, and cultures.
May 1-31: Better Hearing and Speech Month. Sponsored by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association to raise public awareness about how to identify, prevent, and treat speech, language, and hearing disorders.
May 1-31: National Physical Fitness and Sports Month. To encourage all Americans to take part in regular physical activity and increase their knowledge about the health benefits of exercise.
May 1-31: National Sight-Saving Month. To alert the public to the value of eye care and safety and the early detection of eye problems.
May 1-31: Older Americans Month. Established by presidential proclamation to honor the contributions of older Americans to our society.
May 1:Holocaust Remembrance Day (Yom Hashoah). Begins at sunset, April 30. Honors the memory of six million Jewish martyrs and heroes who perished in the Nazi Holocaust.
May 1:Dia del Trabajo. Labor Day in Latin American countries; sometimes called May Day or the Day of the Worker.
May 1:Flores de Mayo (Flowers of May). A Catholic festival of tribute to the Christian Blessed Virgin Mary that lasts the entire month in the Philippines.
May 1: Ascension (Christian). Celebrated the Thursday approximately forty days after Easter to commemorate Christ’s ascension into heaven.
May 2: Vesak (Buddhist). Celebration of Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, death, and his passing into nirvana. Most important holiday for the Theravada Buddhist in Southeast Asia, but its observance varies from culture to culture.
May 3:Constitution Day in Poland. This holiday commemorates the passage in 1791 of Poland’s first constitution, which was the second written constitution in the world after that of the United States, and the first in Europe.
May 4-10: Be Kind to Animals Week. Always observed the first full week in May, this event celebrates the bond between humans and animals.
May 5:Children’s Day (Kodomo No Hi), Japan. Children’s Day is celebrated by attaching wind socks in the shape of carp to poles. The carp symbolizes perseverance, power, and strength.
May 5:Anniversary of the First American Man in Space. On this date in 1961, Alan B. Shepard Jr. became the first American man in space. His suborbital flight lasted 15 minutes, 22 seconds, and reached a height of 116.5 miles.
May 5:Cinco de Mayo. Mexican anniversary of the victory over the French army in the Battle of Puebla in 1862.
May 5-11:Teacher Appreciation Week and National Teacher Day. National PTA founded this week to give PTA’s an opportunity to conduct activities to strengthen respect and support for teachers and the teaching profession. NEA established Tuesday of the week as National Teacher Day (May 6) with the tagline “Great Teachers Make Great Public Schools.”
May 7: Yom Hazikaron (Memorial Day). Honors soldiers who died fighting for the state of Israel.
May 7:National School Nurse Day. To develop a better understanding of the role of school nurses in the educational setting. This year’s theme is: “School Nurses in Action: Transforming School Communities.”
May 8: VE Day. Victory in Europe Day. German surrendered to Allied forces in 1945, ending World War II in Europe.
May 8:World Red Cross Day. Always on the birthday of Swiss citizen Jean Henri Dunant, who in 1863 founded the Red Cross movement in Geneva, Switzerland.
May 11:Mother’s Day. Since 1914, Mother’s Day has been observed on the second Sunday in May.
May 11: Pentecost. Christian observance considered the birthday of the Church; commemorates descent of the Holy Spirit upon the apostles and disciples of Jesus.
May 11-17: National Women’s Health Week. National Women's Health Week empowers women across the country to get healthy by taking action. It kicks off on Mother’s Day and the theme is: “It’s Your Time: Get Inspired. Get Healthy.”
May 12-18: Reading is Fun Week. Sponsored by Reading is Fundamental, Inc., and time set aside to share the joy of reading with children.
May 17:Anniversary of School Desegregation Ruling. On this date in 1954, racial segregation in public schools was unanimously ruled unconstitutional by the Supreme Court in Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka, as a violation of the Fourteenth Amendment clause guaranteeing equal protection under the law.
May 17: Armed Forces Day. Always observed on the third Saturday in May, by presidential proclamation.
May 20-21: Lindbergh Flight Anniversary. Anniversary of the first transatlantic solo flight. On these dates in 1927, Charles Lindbergh flew nonstop from New York to Paris.
May 21: World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development. The day has been sponsored by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) since 2001. It provides us with an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the values of cultural diversity and to learn to “live together” better.
May 23-24: Shavuot (Festival of Weeks). Begins at sunset, May 22. Jewish festival that commemorates the giving of the law (Torah) to Moses on Mount Sinai.
May 24: Victoria Day. Canadian national holiday, also called the Queen’s Birthday.
May 26: Memorial Day. A state and federal holiday in remembrance of war dead.
May 31: World No Tobacco Day. Observed annually on this day around the globe. Strives to bring international focus to the detrimental effects on health caused by tobacco use and environmental tobacco smoke.
*This list is not intended to be all-inclusive of the observances of any religion, and is based on the information available at the time of production.
