May is the fifth month of the year according to both the Gregorian and the Julian Calendars. May was the third month in the early Roman calendar. People born in the month of May are born under the Sun Sign of either Taurus or Gemini.
The month of May was named after Maia, one of the Pleiades and the mother of the God Hermes.
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May Correspondences
- May’s Birthstone: Emerald
- May’s Birthflower: Lily of the Valley, or Hawthorn
Fun Facts About May
According to some Almanacs, some Native American tribes called the May full moon The Full Flower Moon, The Corn Planting Moon or the Milk Moon.
In any given year, no other month will begin on the same day of the week as the month of May. The following year will, however.
The Anglo Saxon word for May was Tri-Milchi meaning 3 milks because the grass had become so lush and green that you could milk the cows three times a day!
May in Myth and Magic
To maintain a youthful appearance and enhance your beauty, wash your face in the dew you collect on the morning of the first of May.
Marry in May, you’ll rue the day.
It is considered very bad luck to get married in May; perhaps because it is considered by some to be the wedding month of the God and Goddess and it would be very rude to upstage them.
Wash a blanket in May, you’ll wash a dear one away
It is bad luck to wash your blankets in May or to buy a new broom.
According to one superstition, children born this month will be sickly all their lives and cats born this month won’t catch mice, but might bring snakes into the house.
Good weather in May is not necessarily a good thing.
A wet May brings a big load of hay.
A cold May is kindly and fills the barn finely.
Mist in May and heat in June makes harvest come right soon.
Holidays, Pagan Festivals and Important Dates in May
- Beltane is celebrated on the first of May.
- The Bona Dea festival was celebrated in ancient Rome on the first of May.
- May 1st was also Vinalia.
- May 9th is the Roman festival of Lemuria.
- May 15th is the birthday of the Roman God Mercury or Mercuralia
- May 21st is the Roman festival Vejovis.
- May 23rd is the Roman festival Rosalia
- Mother’s Day is celebrated on the second Sunday in May.
- Memorial Day is celebrated on the last Sunday in May.
- Armed Forces Day is the third Sunday in May.
- May 5th is Cinco De Mayo, commemorating the Mexican defeat of the French at Puebla
- The Kentucky Derby takes place the first Sunday in May.
- It is said that King Arthur died on May 30 542
- Joan of Arc died on May 30, 1431
May Day
May Day is a secular public holiday celebrated in Europe on the first of May that has roots in ancient Pagan holidays including Beltane and Floralia.
Celebrations often include maypole dancing, bonfires, parades and the crowning of the May Queen.
Read More Online
- The Stories of the Months. May the Month of Maia by Reginald C. Cousins, 1923 on sacred-texts.com. https://www.sacred-texts.com/time/smd/smd07.htm
