May
Several stories have been passed around to show how the month of May was named. The most widely accepted explanation that it was named after Maia, the Roman goddess of spring and growth. Her name related to a Latin word that means increase or growth.
May is one of the most beautiful months of the year in the North Temperate Zone. Usually the snow and ice are gone and the hot temperatures have not arrived. The first garden begins to sprout in May. The wild flowers are blooming, and the trees and grasses have turned green. Wild flowers that bloom in different parts of America are the forsythia, dogwood, violets, and jack-in-the-box. Many birds have built their nests, and mother birds are sitting on the eggs, which will soon hatch.
Memorial Day or Decoration Day is observed the United States, the last Monday in May. It is a legal holiday and observed in memory of those who died while serving the United States in war. The graves of the war heroes are decorated with flowers and flags. Memorial Day was first observed in 1866.
Mother's Day was first observed in 1908 and was designated by Presidential proclamation. Congress and the President recognized it officially in 1914. It is celebrated in honor of Mother’s on the second Sunday of May.
Armed Forces Day is celebrated the third Saturday of May. The United States honors the men and women of the military services. The Armed Forces Day Celebration combined the Army, Navy, and the Air Force in 1950. Prior to that year, they had been held at separate times.
Many Mexican Americans celebrate what they call Cinco De Mayo, on May 5th. It is the anniversary of the Mexican victory over the French at Puebla in 1862. It is a national holiday in Mexico.
The Kentucky Derby takes place on the first Saturday in May at Churchill Downs, Louisville, Kentucky. It is the most famous horse race in the United States.
“The world’s favorite season is the spring. All things seem possible in May.”