Hello May: 11 Interesting Facts About Month of May

Hello May/Source: Tumblr

There is a beautiful thing about May that you only notice when you open your window and look at the tree standing tall in your garden (or you can go to a public park, if you don't have a tree and meanwhile you should plant a tree), how new leaves fill the gaps left by the old leaves, how a bud is becoming a flower, and how things are becoming new again. All in the month of May. There is a certain beauty about the month of May, which you might not witness yet. All I can say, go outside and explore. But meanwhile, you are on your computer, here are some interesting facts about the May.

Named After Greek Goddess Maia
The month is named after Greek Goddess Maia, daughter of Atlas and Pleione the Oceanid, and mother of Hermes. She is the oldest of seven Pleiades and related to fertility and growth.

May is equal to November
May is a month of spring in the Northern hemisphere and month of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere, whereas November is a month of spring in the Southern hemisphere and month of autumn in the Northern hemisphere. Therefore, May of the Northern hemisphere is the seasonal equivalent of November of the Southern hemisphere.

May was actually the third month of the year
In the ancient Roman ten-month calendar, May was the third month in the year. Though it later became the fifth month of the year with the addition of January and February.

It is South Asian Heritage Month
Canada celebrates the month of May as the South Asian Heritage Month to acknowledge presence and culture of the people with roots in South Asian countries, like India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, and Bhutan.

It is interesting to note, Canada also recognizes people (as South Asian) from second or third migrations from countries like South Africa, Guyana, Trinidad, Suriname, Jamaica, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Uganda, Kenya, Britain, Middle East and others.

Labour Day
International Workers' Day or Labour Day is a celebration of labour and working class that is promoted by various labour movements to acknowledge the contribution of labour and working class to the making of our society. It is observed on the May 1 and sometimes, referred as the May Day. Though it should not be confused with traditional spring festival with the same name, May Day, mostly observed in countries with Christian populace.

Mother's Day
India, Australia, Brazil, the United States along with forty countries celebrates the second Sunday of the month as the Mother's day to acknowledge the mothers and  (her) motherhood. However, some countries observe Mother's day as the continuation of the Christian tradition of Mothering Sunday.

Anti-Bullying Day
The United States observes May 4 as the Anti-Bullying Day to prevent bullying and raise the awareness. The idea of Anti-Bullying Day was originated in Canada, where they celebrate February 28 as Pink T-Shirt Day to raise awareness against bullying.

No US President Killed in May
It is interesting to note, in the independent history of United States, no President ever killed in the month of May.

May is Unlucky for Marriage
There is a deep notion among orthodox people that month of May is ominous for marriage life. The superstition dates back to the Romans who thought ghosts roam in the month of May.

Anglo-Saxons call it Tri-Milchi
Anglo-Saxons' name for May is Tri-Milchi, as dairy cows can be milked for three times in this month.

It's Month of Laugh, Hugs, and Smiles.
May is the month of World Laughter Day. First observed on January 10, 1998, India, the day is now celebrated across the world on the May 7 with a mission to make you smile.