Welcome to May!

May is the fifth month on both the Gregorian and Julian calendars and has 31 days. The name May (Maius in Latin) is named for the Greek goddess Maia who represents nurturing and renewal. She was co-identified with the Roman goddess Bona Dea who was associated with fertility, healing, and the protection of women. Her festival took place in May, so both were intertwined. May is the last full month of spring in the Northern Hemisphere (and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere).

The first full moon in May is called the Flower Moon as it coincides with blooming flowers.  There is an adage for May: “A warm January, cold May,” As the transitional month between spring and summer, you can get both warm and sunny days followed by chilly ones as well. In older times, people used to shutter up their houses (or specific rooms in larger houses that could not be used in winter) for the winter. May was often the time to open the house back up again and let the warm spring air inside. On the old television show The Beverly Hillbillies granny would remove everything from the house to clean thoroughly inside.

In ancient times, festivals celebrated plants beginning to bloom. The tradition continues to this day with many festivals held in Europe and elsewhere. By the end of May, summer is approaching and many are already prepared for it. While astronomically it does not begin until mid-June, most mark the last day of June as the beginning of summer. Schools are ending for the summer, and many people begin to start their summer vacations also in May. For those interested, the May symbols are the emerald (birthstone), and for flowers lily of the valley and hawthorn.

Sources

———. “The month of May 2026: Holidays, fun facts, folklore.” Almanac.Com. Last modified April 23, 2026. Accessed April 30, 2026. https://www.almanac.com/content/month-may-holidays-fun-facts-folklore.

Rehberger, Georg. “May Is the Fifth Month of the Year.” TimeandDate.com. Accessed April 30, 2026. https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/months/may.html.

———. “The Surprising History of May | HISTORY.” HISTORY. Last modified May 27, 2025. Accessed April 30, 2026. https://www.history.com/articles/history-may-month.

May, the fifth month in the Gregorian and Julian calendars, is named after the Greek goddess Maia. It was the third month in the Roman calendar and has 31 days. The full moon in May, often called the Flower Moon, coincides with blooming flowers.

May is associated with spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. As a bridge between spring and summer, it has varying hot and cold days by location. The saying “Warm January, cool May” is sometimes true. In the past, homes were sealed for winter, but in May, windows were opened to let in warm spring air. Spring cleaning remains a tradition to freshen homes after winter. In *The Beverly Hillbillies*, Granny cleaned the mansion thoroughly, placing items outside.

Spring is when plants start growing, and many festivals celebrate this season. Ancient Romans held several in May, and many Europeans still do. Late May often marks the start of summer. May’s symbols are the emerald (birthstone), lily of the valley, and hawthorn (birth flowers).

For more information

Catherine Boeckmann, “The Month of May 2025: Holidays, Fun Facts, Folklore,” Almanac.Com, last modified April 23, 2025, https://www.almanac.com/content/month-may-holidays-fun-facts-folklore.

“The Month of May,” https://www.timeanddate.com/calendar/months/may.html.

Wikipedia contributors, “May,” Wikipedia, last modified April 21, 2025, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/May.