May Holidays & Quirky Celebrations (2021)

Fifth in my monthly series on celebration-worthy moments, below you’ll find a lengthy list of May Holidays and Quirky Celebrations. I hope these posts will help you make every month more memorable this year.

You’ll notice that some items on this list are linked to other pages. Click through for ideas and resources to help your family get the most out of each occasion.

May Holidays and Quirky Celebrations

May 1

National Scrapbooking Day (first Saturday in May) – an opportune time for working on family scrapbooks and photo albums
Kentucky Derby Day (fist Saturday in May) – “Bet my money on the bobtail nag. Somebody bet on the bay.”
May Day
Loyalty Day
National Foster Care Day
Lei Day (Hawaii)
Mother Goose Day
National Chocolate Parfait Day
New Homeowners Day
Silver Star Day
Save the Rhino Day
Couple Appreciation Day – a day to honor your better half
Frequent Flyer Day – did you know you can earn free airline tickets, even if you aren’t a frequent flyer?

May 2

International Bereaved Mother’s Day (first Sunday in May)
International Permaculture Day (first Sunday in May)
World Laughter Day (first Sunday in May)
Baby Day
International Scurvy Awareness Day
Take a Baby to Lunch Day
Play Your Ukulele Day
National Truffle Day
National Life Insurance Day
Brothers and Sisters Day – now’s the time to let your siblings know how much you appreciate them!

May 3

Lumpy Rug Day
National Chocolate Custard Day
National Raspberry Popover Day
Public Radio Day
National Two Different Colored Shoes Day
National Textiles Day
Sun Day
World Press Freedom Day
Wordsmith Day – a great day to start reading Wordsmithy (one of my absolute favorite books on writing)

May 4

Teacher Appreciation Day (Tuesday of the first full week of May) – Whether your kids attend public, private, or homeschool, let their teachers know you appreciate all they do to further their education
Star Wars Day – “May the 4th be with you!”
Bird Day – Get a pair of binoculars and go birdwatching or color a few of our state bird printables.
National Candied Orange Peel Day – I don’t know anything about candying orange peel, but any day’s a good day to peel an orange and eat it section by section. Go vitamin C!
Poem on Your Pillow Day – This “Ode to a Freshly Made Bed” should do nicely. 🙂
Petite and Proud Day
Anti-Bullying Day
International Firefighters’ Day
National Kids Fitness Day – Sounds like a great day to Get Up & Go!

May 5

Bike to School Day (Wednesday in first full week of May)
Museum Lover’s Day
National Hoagie Day
Oyster Day
International Midwives Day
National Cartoonists Day
World Math Day – How about printing out a few of our free math drills and racing to see who can finish them first?
Cinco de Mayo – Bring on the Mexican food, starting with the World’s Best Pico de Gallo!

May 6

National Day of Prayer (first Thursday of May) – We offer all sorts of FREE pretty, printable prayer guides to use on this May holiday… and every other day of the year!
Make a Book Day (observed on Thursday of National Family Reading Week)
No Homework Day
National Tourist Appreciation Day
World Password Day
National No Diet Day
Beverage Day – How about a fresh fruit smoothie?
National Nurses Day – As the mother of a nurse and two nursing students, I approve of this May holiday!

[our three nurses]

May 7

International Space Day (first Friday in May)
International Tuba Day (first Friday in May)
School Lunch Hero Day (first Friday in May)
Military Spouses Appreciation Day (Friday before Mother’s Day)
National Public Gardens Day (Friday before Mother’s Day) – If you are fortunate enough to live near a public garden, today would be a great day to visit. If not, check this listing to find arboretums and botanical gardens across the nation.
National Tourism Day

May 8

Birthmother’s Day (Saturday before Mother’s Day)
National Babysitter’s Day (Saturday in first full week of May)
International Migratory Bird Day (second Saturday in May)
American Indian Day (second Saturday in May)
Letter Carrier’s Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive Day (second Saturday in May)
National Miniature Golf Day (second Saturday in May)
Brunch for Lunch Day (day before Mother’s Day) – You’ll find all my favorite brunch food recipes here.
No Socks Day – I vote for skipping the shoes, as well. ?
Iris Day – Such beautiful flowers!
National Coconut Cream Pie Day
V-E Day
World Red Cross Day
Free Trade Day – For an excellent contrast between communism and free market societies, check out Economics for Everyone. These video lessons are explained in language the whole family can understand.

May 9

Mother’s Day (second Sunday in May) – We have lots of great FREE printable resources for Mother’s Dayy! Check them out.
Lost Sock Memorial Day
Tear the Tags off the Mattress Day
Peter Pan Day – how about screening Peter Pan (either the live action or animated version) or reading the story aloud?
National Butterscotch Brownie Day
Hooray for Buttons Day – For some fun button craft ideas, peruse my “Cute as a Button” Board on Pinterest

May 10

National Small Business Day
Trust Your Intuition Day – Be careful! Sometimes your heart and intuition can lead you astray. But if you are a Christian, you should definitely listen for the promptings of the Holy Spirit
Clean up Your Room Day – If your kids have a hard time cleaning their rooms up to your standards, give them one of our Bedroom Inspection Checklists. They’ll have it spit-spot in no time.

May 11

Eat What You Want Day – But remember, “Moderation in all things.”
Twilight Zone Day
Hostess Cupcake Day – Don’t forget to stock up on this iconic snack with the curlicue icing if you plan to celebrate this May holiday.

May 12

International Receptionist Day (second Wednesday in May)
National Night Shift Workers Day (second Wednesday in May)
Odometer Day – We’ve never actually celebrated this May holiday, although my husband has a mini-celebration anytime our car odometer rolls over to a round or repeating number, like 25,000 miles or 33,333 miles. He makes us all watch if we’re together (which is difficult if you aren’t in the driver’s seat) and has even been known to take photos of the reading to post in our family group chat. Ha!
International Nurses Day
National Nutty Fudge Day – Fantasy fudge is my favorite!
Fatigue Syndrome Day
Limerick Day – This would be an opportune time to try your hand at limerick writing. Here’s one of mine:

May 13

Frog Jumping Day – This May holiday provides the perfect time for playing leap-frog or doing lots of other frog-themed activities.
National Miniature Golf Day – Putt-Putt, anyone?
International Hummus Day – Yum!
Cough Drop Day
National Fruit Cocktail Day – Buy some grapes and berries and make a fresh fruit salad of your own.
Top Gun Day
Tulip Day
National Apple Pie Day – A slice of warm apple pie with a scoop of ice cream? Mmmm-mmm! I could really go for that on this May holiday.
Leprechaun Day – A great excuse to have another Leprechaun Lunch!

May 14

National Learn to Swim Day (third Saturday in May)
Fintastic Friday (second Friday in May) – This day is meant to “give sharks, skates, and rays a voice.” Sounds like the perfect occasion to watch Finding Nemo or maybe even a Vid-Angel version of Jaws or The Meg.
Shades Day (closest Friday to May 15) – Time to rock those sunglasses!
Dance Like a Chicken Day
National Buttermilk Biscuit Day
Underground America Day
The Stars and Stripe Forever Day – Use this opportunity to make sure your kids know the words to the U.S. pledge and our national anthem.

May 15

Armed Forces Day (third Saturday in May) – Celebrate by singing our military anthems and praying for our soldiers.
Plant a Lemon Tree Day (third Saturday in May)
World Fiddle Day (third Saturday in May)
National Senior Fraud Awareness Day
Nylon Stockings Day
Straw Hat Day
Bring Flowers to Someone Day
National Chocolate Chip Day – Not to be confused with National Chocolate Chip COOKIE Day, which is August 4. So maybe today, we should just eat them straight?
Police Officer’s Memorial Day – Blue Lives Matter and deserve our prayers, support, and respect!
Astronomy Day
International Day of Families – Here are a few benefits of having a big one!

May 16

National Stepmother’s Day (Sunday after Mother’s Day)
World Baking Day (third Sunday in May) – Bake a batch of brownies or banana bread to celebrate!
Love a Tree Day – Fertilize an old tree, water a thirsty tree, or plant a new tree. The string a hammock and relax in the shade!
National Sea Monkey Day
Biographer’s Day – Want to get your kids interested in reading biographies? Try Janet & Geoff Benge’s series.
Wear Purple for Peace Day
International Day of Light – Jesus said, “I am the Light of the world,” as us noted in this coloring page.

May 17

Pack Rat Day
National Cherry Cobbler Day
National Walnut Day

May 18

Dinosaur Day (third Tuesday in May and on June 1) – Provides the perfect excuse for rewatching Jurassic Park.
I Love Reese’s Day – Reese’s Bars, Reece’s Pieces, Peanut Butter Cups — any of those sound good to me!/li>
International Museum Day
National Visit Your Relatives Day
National Stress Awareness Day – For some tried & true tips on dealing with stress, follow this link.
No Dirty Dishes Day – Don’t you just love having an empty and spotless kitchen sink? This is one May holiday I’d like to celebrate 365 days a year!

May 19

Celebrate Your Elected Officials Day
National Endangered Species Day
Boy’s Club Day
May Ray Day – Browse our list of 50 Fun Things to Do Outdoors, then go outside and soak up some sunbeams

May 20

Eliza Doolittle Day – Why not watch My Fair Lady to celebrate this May holiday?
Be a Millionaire Day – Easier said than done!
Pick Strawberries Day
National Quiche Lorraine Day
World Bee Day
Weights and Measures Day
National Notebook Day
Flower Day – Pick a bouquet of wildflowers, plant some perennials, or paint a picture of posies to celebrate.

May 21

National Bike to Work Day (third Friday in May) – We celebrated “Bike to School Day” earlier this month, but for those of us who are no longer students, there’s also “Bike to Work Day.” (Of course, if you’re a teacher, you could celebrate both!)
Endangered Species Day (third Friday in May)
National Pizza Party Day (third Friday in May) – Order a pizza or bake your own at home.
NASCAR Day (third Friday in May)
O. Henry Pun-Off Day (third Friday in May)
National Memo Day
Waiters and Waitresses Day – Show a little appreciation and leave the waitstaff a good tip.
International Tea Day – Host a tea party and take our tea time trivia test

May 22

International Day for Biological Diversity
Sherlock Holmes Day
National Vanilla Pudding Day
National Solitaire Day
Buy a Musical Instrument Day – If nothing else, you could invest in a recorder or a harmonica.

May 23

Lucky Penny Day
National Taffy Day
Wprld Turtle Day

May 24

Brothers’ Day
National Tiara Day
National Escargot Day
Asparagus Day
National Scavenger Hunt Day – How about a Nature Scavenger Hunt, a Photo Safari, or a Stay-at-Home Scavenger Hunt?

May 25

Brown Bag It Day
National Tap Dance Day
National Missing Children’s Day
Nerd Pride Day

May 26

National Blueberry Cheesecake Day
World Redhead Day – Hooray for Gingers!
Sally Ride Day
National Paper Airplane Day – Fold a few paper planes with family and friends, then have a contest to see whose can fly the farthest.
National Senior Health an Fitness Day
World Lindy Hop Day – Look up some lessons on YouTube, crank up the music, and put your dancing shoes on!

May 27

Sun Screen Day
National Grape Popsicle Day
Red Nose Day
Nothing to Fear Day

May 28

Staycation Day (Friday before Memorial Day) – Follow this link for tips on planning the perfect Staycation.
Amnesty International Day
International Hamburger Day
National Brisket Day
European Neighbors Day
National Heat Awareness Day

May 29

International Jazz Day (Saturday of Memorial Day weekend)
Learn About Composting Day
End of Middle Ages Day
World Digestive Health Day
Paper Clip Day
National Biscuit Day – Whip up a batch of our made-from-scratch biscuit recipe, and you’ll be all set for celebrating this special holiday in style!

May 30

Neighbor Day (8 days before the first Monday in June)
Water a Flower Day
National Creativity Day – We offer a lengthy list of ideas for encouraging creativity in young children.

May 31

Memorial Day (last Monday in May) – Follow this link for resources for celebrating Memorial Day.
National Macaroon Day
World No Tobacco Day
Save Your Hearing Day
Speak in Complete Sentences Day
National Smile Day