How good do you know about May? That it’s the fifth month of the year or that it has a length of 31 days, just like the other six months of the year. But do you know that the month of May was named after the Greek goddess of fertility, Maia? Or that according to old Cornish fallacy, it’s unlucky to buy a broom in May? Learn such many more interesting and crazy facts below:

10 Interesting Facts:

1. The month of May is the fifth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian Calendars.
2. The Romans also follow the concept of goddessMaia. They follow a similar goddess by the name of Bona Dea, whose festival is celebrated in the month of May.
3. The Romans call the month as ‘Maius’. Originally, Roman year had just 10 named months, the two missed out months defined the bad winter months when there was no agriculture.
4. The journey from the name ‘Maius’ to ‘May’ took ages. It was first termed ‘May’ in the 1400s, towards the end of the Middle Ages.
5. The birthstone which represents May is emerald which is symbol of love and success.
6. The flower that represents May is ‘Lily of the Valley’ and Zodiac signs which fall on these 31 days are Taurus and Gemini.
7. May represents the month of autumn in the Southern Hemisphere and the time of spring in the Northern Hemisphere.
8. The Empire State Building was officially opened on May 1, 1931.
9. May hosts The Indianapolis 500 car race every year. Even The Kentucky Derby, world’s most famous horse race is held during the second Saturday of this month.
10. Some information for the children, May 5 every year is celebrated as the Children’s Day in both Japan and Korea.

10 Crazy Facts:

1. UK celebrates the month of May as the “National Smile Month”.
2. Earlier pregnant sow was sacrificed by the priests of Vulcan in Ancient Rome on May 1.
3. Till date, no US president ever died during the month of May.
4. Years back, May was thought to be a month of bad luck to get married or engaged. Ovid, a Roman poet, uses to say “bad girls wed in May.”
5. According to old English, May is called the “month of three milkings”. It’s named so because of the cows that could be milked then three times a day.
6. The last week of May is observed as the Library and the Information Week.
7. Amusingly no other month like May begins or ends on the same day of the week, in any year.
8. It’s believed that May is conventionally dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary in Roman Catholic traditions.
9. May is also celebrated as the Drinking Water Month in the US and Canada.
10. According to Ovid, the month of May is named for the ‘maiores’, meaning ‘elders’ in Latin.

Few renowned days celebrated in May:

• May 1: Labour Day
• May 2: International Day of Idleness (named by World Tramps Congress in Argentina in 1966)
• May 5: Cinco De Mayo
• 1^st Saturday of May: Kentucky Derby
• 2^nd Sunday of May: Mother’s Day
• 3^rd Saturday of May: Armed Forces Day
• Last Monday: Memorial Day

Few renowned Month Celebrations:

• Asian American Heritage Month
• National Physical Fitness and Sports Month
• National Bike Month
• Jewish American Heritage Month
• Skin Cancer Awareness Month

May (the way its pronounced/named) in other languages:

• Latin – Maius
• French – mai
• Spanish – mayo
• Chinese (Mandarin) – wuyuè
• Danish – maj
• Italian – maggio

 Other Historical Names:

• Saxon: Thrimilci
• Germanic: Wonne-mond