May has 31 days and is widely believed to take its name from Maia, a Roman goddess associated with growth and the flourishing of plants — fitting for a month that sits at the tail end of Northern Hemisphere spring, when warmer weather and blooming gardens are in full swing. In the Southern Hemisphere, May instead marks the move deeper into autumn, with cooler temperatures and shorter days.
May Day on May 1st has a long history in many cultures as a celebration of the arrival of warmer weather, often marked with flowers, dancing, and community gatherings; in a number of countries it’s also observed as International Workers’ Day or Labour Day, honoring workers and the labor movement. Mother’s Day is also widely celebrated in May in many countries, though the exact date varies — in the United States and several other nations it falls on the second Sunday of the month.
With school years in many Northern Hemisphere countries winding toward their close and outdoor activity picking up, May often feels like a transitional month — the last stretch of spring before summer takes over in June.