May 2015

The modern American holiday of Mother’s Day was first celebrated in 1908, when Anna Jarvis held a memorial for her mother in Grafton, West Virginia. Her campaign to make “Mother’s Day” a recognized holiday in the United States began in 1905, the year her beloved mother, Ann Reeves Jarvis, died. Anna’s mission was to honor her own mother by continuing work she had started and to set aside a day to honor mothers, “the person who has done more for you than anyone in the world”. Anna’s mother, Ann Jarvis, was a peace activist who had cared for wounded soldiers on both sides of the Civil War and created Mother’s Day Work Clubs to address public health issues.

Due to the campaign efforts of Anna Jarvis, several states officially recognized Mother’s Day, the first in 1910 being West Virginia, Jarvis’ home state. In 1914 Woodrow Wilson signed the proclamation creating Mother’s Day, the second Sunday in May, as a national holiday to honor mothers.

2. National Physical Fitness and Sports Month.

Regular physical activity is good for everyone’s health, and people of all ages and body types can be physically active. National Physical Fitness and Sports Month is a great time to spread the word about the benefits of getting active.

3. ALS Awareness Month.

In May 2015 ALS Awareness Month is celebrated. In the United States, the campaign is observed every year in the month of May. During this month, the ALS Association sponsors the National ALS Advocacy Day and Public Policy Conference and leads a delegation of people with ALS, their caregivers and other advocates to Capitol Hill to urge legislators to support measures to help find treatments and a cure.

4. National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week

Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week, May 4-10, helps raise awareness around children’s mental health and May 8 marks National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day.

5. Mental Health Awareness Month.

Family Members and Caregivers When a friend or family member develops a mental health condition, it’s important to know that you’re not alone. Many Americans have experienced caring for a person with mental illness. 1 in 25 Americans lives with a serious mental health condition. Mental health professionals have effective treatments for most of these conditions, yet in any given year, only 60% of people with a mental illness get mental health care.

5a. Connect to help.

6. Fun Facts about the month of May.

The 5th month of the year is an outstanding one

According to the early Roman calendar, May was the third month. Later, the ancient Romans used January as the first month and therefore, became the fifth month and it always had 31 days. May was first named for Maia, the Roman goddess of spring and growth. In the North Temperate Zone, may is one of the most beautiful months of the year. Usually, the snow and ice are gone by this time but the hot temperature hasn’t arrived yet. In May, the first garden begins to sprout and the wild flowers start to bloom and the trees and grasses turn green. Wild flowers such as forsythia, dogwood, violets, and jack-in-the-box bloom and many birds build their nests to sit on the eggs that will soon hatch.

7. Memorial Day.

Originally called Decoration Day, from the early tradition of decorating graves with flowers, wreaths and flags, Memorial Day is a day for remembrance of those who have died in service to our country. It was first widely observed on May 30, 1868 to commemorate the sacrifices of Civil War soldiers, by proclamation of Gen. John A. Logan of the Grand Army of the Republic, an organization of former Union sailors and soldiers.

When Is Memorial Day?

In 1971, Congress passed the Uniform Monday Holiday Act and established that Memorial Day was to be celebrated on the last Monday of May. Several southern states, however, officially celebrate an additional, separate day for honoring the Confederate war dead, sometimes referred to as a Confederate Memorial Day: January 19 in Texas; third Monday in Jan. in Arkansas; fourth Monday in Apr. in Alabama and Mississippi; April 26 in Florida and Georgia; May 10 in North and South Carolina; last Monday in May in Virginia; and June 3 in Louisiana and Tennessee.

Memorial Day is celebrated at Arlington National Cemetery each year with a ceremony in which a small American flag is placed on each grave. Traditionally, the President or Vice President lays a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier. About 5,000 people attend the ceremony annually.

7a. The real meaning…

7b. Thirteen Folds of the American Flag

8. Cinco de Mayo (May fifth). Here are seven basic facts about Cinco de Mayo.

Cinco de Mayo (May fifth) is an important Mexican holiday celebrated in Mexico, the United States and around the world. To many people, it’s simply an excuse to have some nachos and a margarita or two: it is sometimes referred to as “Mexican St. Patrick’s Day.” There is much more to this holiday than guacamole, however! Cinco de Mayo is an important day in the history of Mexico, and the holiday has true meaning and importance to those who understand what it’s all about.

9. Military Appreciation Month

Fun Facts