Mother’s Day month is again upon us and, if you’re still wondering what to get your original old lady for her special day, how about a calendar about that most exciting 31-day time of year, when the heat comes back, flowers bloom and winter’s brutal assault becomes a distant memory?
I speak, of course, about the month of May.
Fitting that the first predictably nice (weather wise) month of the year, filled with blooming whatnots and landscaping fanatics, is named after the Greek goddess Maia, who is associated with fertility. It’s also fitting, because May seems to give birth to a whole bunch of special days.
Of course, May 24 — Queen Victoria Day — is a fantastic opportunity for Canadians to kick back at the lake, grill some meat or just work their manual-labour jobs at time-and-a-half pay (warning: such overtime pay conventions may not apply at your workplace).
This first of the summer long weekends exists to celebrate the birthdays of Canada’s sovereign leaders, which currently is the position filled by Queen Elizabeth II.
Among other things, May is National Asthma Awareness Month, Blood Pressure Month, Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month, Huntington Disease Awareness Month, Salvation Army Red Shield Month, National Physiotherapy Month, Cerebral Palsy Awareness Month, Asian Heritage Month and Car Care Month.
May is also the month of Emergency Preparedness Week (May 2-8), National Composting Awareness Week (May 2-8), National Mental Health Week (May 2-8) National Nurses Week (May 9-15), National Police Week (May 9-15), Aboriginal Awareness Week (May 23-29) and National Sun Awareness Week (May 23-29).
Special days in May include (aside from Victoria Day) World Press Freedom Day (May 3), World Red Cross Day (May 8), World Lupus Day (May 10), International Museums Day (May 18), Active Healthy Kids Day (May 29) and World No-Tobacco Day (May 31).
For the first two weeks of May, the City of Moose Jaw is offering free usage to the landfill for all those taking advantage of the warm May weather to get rid of some filth and clutter.
Of course, May 5 is Cinco de Mayo, commemorating the mighty Mexican’s triumph over the French at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862. This significant holiday is not actually our southern neighbours’ southern neighbours’ national independence day celebration, which is on Sept. 18.
As was implied in the first paragraph of this column, May 9 is that annual celebration of Motherhood and undoubtedly a mega boost to the greeting card industry. Flowers are also a safe gift choice for Mother’s Day and the magnoliophyta of choice for that day is typically the carnation.
However, this is not the official flower of the month of May. That honour belongs to the China rose.
Famous celebrities celebrating birthdays this month include 42-year-old Tim McGraw (May 1), 80-year-old Audrey Hepburn (May 4), 191-year-old Karl Marx (May 5), 39-year-old Tina Fey (May 18) and 273-year-old Patrick Henry (May 29). A nice May-related gift for these folks might be a big hunk of emerald, which is the month’s birthstone.
Truly, this month of Taurus and Gemini is packed full of life and activity and I personally wish you all, my loyal readers, the very best May possible. Good times are ahead I predict.
As American naturalist Edwin Way Teale once said: “The world’s favourite season is the spring. All things seem possible in May.”
Carter Haydu can be reached at 691-1265.
