What to Celebrate May 4 thru 10, 2020
Celebration Ideas for May 4 – 10, 2020
May is officially here! And it’s a beautiful day, too.
We hope your May is also starting off good. But no matter what today brings, there’s a whole month of May days to enjoy as much as possible.
Hopefully you can get outside to garden, play, or just relax in the coming days & weeks. Safely distanced, of course!
But first we invite you to take a peek and plan your week. And yes, do remember to …
Enjoy!
Celebrate All May Long
Get out in the garden to enjoy wildlife, flowers & other gifts, and barbecuing if you can.
Garden for Wildlife Month: When you plan your garden, don’t think only of yourself! Think about the wildlife you can invite in to enjoy your garden too. All you have to do is plant things bees & butterflies & hummingbirds & other critters like, and they’ll come to visit. And you get to enjoy not just your plants and flowers, but also the parade of wildlife. Now if that’s not a win-win we don’t know what is!
Gifts from the Garden Month: As if beautiful plants and visits from wildlife weren’t enough gifts, there are plenty more gifts your garden can give you. And that you can share with others too! How many gifts can your garden offer this year?
National Barbecue Month: Of course, you’ll also want to get out and enjoy your yard & garden. Grilling is one fun & tasty way to do that! But what we in the US call BBQ/grilling isn’t necessarily the same as what other countries call grilling. Why not try different grilling styles to keep things interesting?
Weekly Celebrations for May’s 1st Full Week
Kindness, flexibility, and the beauty of wildflowers can all be antidotes to the stresses of everyday life. Especially these days.
But for some of us anxiety and depression are all too real and won’t go away without real treatment. Learn more and get help if you need it.
Be Kind to Animals Week (May 3 – 9, 2020): Kindness and compassion shouldn’t be reserved for humans. All living creatures deserve kindness and that’s what this week is all about. We sure do hope you’re already kind to animals, but this week is a chance to review your actions and maybe do better. And vow to be kind 365 days of the year, this year and every year.
Flexible Work Arrangement Week (May 3 – 9, 2020): Flexible work arrangements have been a point of contention for years between employees trying to balance work & family and employers who equate “face time” with “productivity”. But these days that’s all gone out the window, and both sides have been thrown into embracing flexibility as much as possible in many cases. Use this week to learn more about the different kinds of flex arrangements and explore how it may be beneficial to make them a routine feature of many positions.
National Anxiety and Depression Awareness Week (May 3 – 9, 2020): This time of uncertainty can be a trigger for depression and anxiety, and if you’re feeling either of these things, you’re not alone. Learn more about these conditions, and get help if you need it.
National Wildflower Week (May 3, – 9, 2020): Wildflowers are nature’s way of creating beauty and also sustaining insects and other animals. Spend some time learning more about wildflowers native to your area. And maybe even plant a wildflower garden of your own? Get more ideas here.
Celebration Days coming up for May 4 thru May 10
Mother’s Day is Sunday, May 10, but there’s lots to celebrate before then. And even on the day. Clean up Your Room Day seems like a great companion celebration, and a pretty good gift to mom!
But first there’s respecting chickens, honoring astronauts, and appreciating military spouses … along with nurses and teachers.
We also mourn lost socks, try to avoid grumpiness, and have a Coke. Yep, it shouldn’t be hard at all to make it another fun-tastic week!
May 4:
International Respect for Chickens Day: Every living creature deserves respect. And on May 4 we highlight chickens, which don’t always get it. Let’s start doing better. Holding food producers to higher standards and ending cockfighting seem like good places to start.
Star Wars Day: Probably better known as May the Fourth Be With You Day, the day celebrates the wildly popular and successful Star Wars franchise and all its fans. Of course you know we celebrate on May 4 because it’s a fun word-play on the equally famous line “May the force be with you”.
National Renewal Day: On this day we renew & refresh ourselves, our homes, our gardens, our relationships, or whatever else might need refreshing.
Bird Day: Celebrate your feathered friends for this day! Feed them, learn about them, promote conservation of them. Do whatever feels right to shine a positive light on birds of all sorts.
National Orange Juice Day: Do you love orange juice? This is the day to shout it from the rooftops! Or just enjoy this sweet, refreshing drink for breakfast or any time of day.
National Candied Orange Peel Day: But juice isn’t the only way to celebrate oranges on May 4! We can also candy the peel and enjoy the sweet-tart result. Eat it as a snack or use it in baking.
May 5:
National Cartoonists Day: Although the National Cartoonist Society no longer supports this day, there’s nothing stopping you from celebrating your favorite cartoons and their creators. Or even trying your hand at creating a cartoon!
National Teacher Day: Also known as National Teacher Appreciation Day, this is the day to thank any teachers you’ve really loved or who have made a difference in your life. Or teachers who’ve made a difference in your childrens’ lives. Or really any teachers who are working hard to help all children learn and be the best they can be. And that’s especially challenging this year!
National Astronaut Day: Honor our astronauts on the anniversary of the day in 1961 when Alan Shepard spent 15 minutes in space, becoming the first America to go to space. And be inspired by their soaring achievements to follow your own dreams.
National Silence the Shame Day: On this day we speak up about mental illness. Because there is no shame in having an illness, whether it’s physical or mental. If you do have a mental illness you are not alone, and nobody should ever be made to feel alone.
May 6:
Great American Grump Out: On this day we refuse to be grumpy! Or at least try to avoid grumpiness. It’s only 24 hours. Surely we can do it!
Interpreter Appreciation Day: Unless you’re deaf or close with someone who is you probably don’t think much about how deaf people “hear” speakers. Recently though, with all those news conferences about how various governments are handling the pandemic, you’ve no doubt seen the people off to the side making all those weird hand gestures. Except they’re not weird to the people who understand sign language. They’re incredibly useful.
National Nurses Day: Speaking of people who deserve appreciation, we also celebrate & honor nurses for this day. Of course, they deserve appreciation every day of the year. But this year they especially deserve a day of honor … although most of them are probably too busy saving lives to notice the day. Make it a point to thank any nurses you know.
National Skilled Trades Day: Another category of worker getting more recognition these days is the skilled trades. Many of these people are essential workers during states’ stay-at-home orders. Without them many essential industries would quickly grind to a halt. And even those not currently essential will likely be in high demand when states start to reopen.
National Beverage Day: On this day you get to choose what beverage to celebrate. Whether you prefer something alcoholic or non, hot or cold, sweet or tart, make it a point to enjoy your favorite for this day.
National Crepes Suzette Day: Enjoy a sweet, citrusy crepe Suzette along with your favorite beverage for the perfect 2-in-1 celebration! If you can’t get them at your favorite restaurant (it’s not open, they’re not on the limited carry-out/delivery menu), why not try your hand at making them yourself? This crepes Suzette recipe makes it sound easy(ish).
May 7:
National Day of Reason: This day started as an alternative to the National Day of Prayer, because while individuals are free to worship however they please the day’s founders opposed the use of tax dollars to support religion.
National Day of Prayer: On this day Congress and the President ask Americans to “turn to God in prayer.”
World Password Day: This is your annual reminder to make sure you’re using strong passwords to all your online accounts. And different passwords for each account too! Best of all, turn on two-factor authentication wherever possible.
National Paste Up Day: Get nostalgic for (or learn about) the time before digital publishing, when newspapers, magazines, & catalogs were laid out by hand. “Paste-up” was the method used to make these layouts.
National Roast Leg of Lamb Day: If you can get yourself a leg of lamb, roast it and enjoy!
May 8:
National Animal Disaster Preparedness Day: Do you have a disaster preparedness plan? Are your pets part of it? If you answered “no” to either of those questions, this is the day to change that!
Fintastic Friday: Giving Sharks, Skates, and Rays a Voice: Advocate for saving the sharks & their relatives. This day is mostly for getting kids involved, but we’re pretty sure everybody should be giving sharks a voice. And of course, if you have kids, let them know about this day. We’re also pretty sure they’ll want to raise their voices for the sharks, skates, and rays.
National Military Spouse Appreciation Day: Members of our military certainly deserve all the appreciation they get. But let’s not forget about their spouses! Their support and commitment are vital to the well-being of our troops too. And since 1984 military spouses have had a day set aside just for them.
National Have a Coke Day: Do as the name says and enjoy a cold, fizzy Coca-Cola! Now, many people refer to any cola drink as “Coke” but at least for this day we’re pretty sure only the real thing is allowed! 😉
National Coconut Cream Pie Day: Mmmmm … coconut! It makes almost anything better. And a whole pie? Well that’s just divine! If you agree, make and devour a coconut cream pie for the day.
May 9:
Lost Sock Memorial Day: Let’s have a moment of silence for all the socks lost and never found. 😢 😉
National Dog Mom’s Day: Dogs are just as much a part of your family as your human kids & other human members. And if you’re mom to a dog or 2 (or 10!), you deserve a day of recognition for all you do for your canine kids. And since we all know you’re happiest when you’re fussing over the doggies, spend your day doing just that!
World Migratory Bird Day: Understanding migratory birds’ movements helps us understand the threats they face and create conservation plans. But even if you aren’t involved in bird conservation, the birds themselves are beautiful and fascinating and worth learning more about.
National Train Day: If you love trains, celebrate them! Technically this day no longer exists, as its founder, Amtrak, discontinued it in 2016. But true train lovers will celebrate their passion anyway. Because realistically, once a day is created the true fans will keep celebrating it no matter what. So take a train ride if you can! And check out this list of Train Day events to see if any near you may be happening later in the year (moved due to the coronavirus pandemic).
May 10:
World Lupus Day: We’ve learned a lot about lupus since this day began back in 2004. But there’s still a lot to learn. And many people still know very little (or even nothing!) about it or how it affects the people with it. So we still need this day to help spread the word.
National Clean Up Your Room Day: Do like the name of the day says & clean up your room. And the rest of the house too, for that matter! You’ll feel a sense of accomplishment and joy in your nice, clutter-free environment.
National Hamster Day: Dogs, cats, rats, ferrets, and assorted other furries get a day. Why shouldn’t hamsters?! Well of course they should. And they do! Celebrate your pet hamster(s) or your fascination with hamsters. Get your hamsters some new treats, toys, or cage accessories.
National Shrimp Day: Enjoy shrimp your favorite way! Well, probably you should make it mom’s favorite way, since it is Mother’s Day!
