May dates for your diary
Calendar snapshots
5th – Vesak, Buddhism
Sometimes called Buddha Day, Vesak celebrates the Buddha’s birthday. Celebrations vary from country to country but are colourful and joyful. People clean and decorate their homes. Some hold ceremonies where water is poured over statues of the Buddha, to signify purification of thoughts and deeds.
8th – 14th – Mental Health Awareness Week
The Mental Health Foundation has held this awareness raising week every year since 2001, with the aim of helping to remove the stigma around mental health problems. Each year has its own theme; this year it is anxiety. Go to www.mentalhealth.org.uk to find out more.
28th – Pentecost, Christian
Celebrated by Western and Orthodox Christian churches, Pentecost commemorates the Holy Spirit appearing to Christ’s Apostles and other followers while they were celebrating the Feast of Weeks, or Shavuot. It is considered by some to be the birthday of the Christian faith.
This month’s dates at a glance
Religious/cultural
1 – Beltane, Wicca and Pagan
2 – Twelfth day of Ridvan, Baha’i
Birthday of Guru Arjan Dev Sikh
3 – Feast of Saints Philip and James, Catholic Christian
5 – Vesak, Buddhist
9 – Lag BaOmer, Judaism
14 – Feast of Saint Matthias, Catholic Christian
18 – Feast of the Ascension, Christian
19 – Yom Yerushalayim, Judaism
23 – Birthday of Guru Amar Das, Sikh
24 – Declaration of the Báb, Baha’i
25 – Feast of the Ascension, Orthodox Christian
26-27 – Shavuot, Judaism
28 – Pentecost, Christian
29 – Ascension of Baha‘u’llah, Baha’i
31 – Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Catholic Christian
Awareness and events
1 – Bank Holiday UK (May Day)
1-7 – Deaf Awareness Week
7 – International Family Equality Day
8 – Bank Holiday UK (King’s Coronation)
World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day
8-14 – Coeliac UK Awareness Week
8-14 – Mental Health Awareness Week
15 – International Day of Families
17 – International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia
18 – Global Accessibility Awareness Day
21 – World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development
22 – International Day for Biological Diversity
24 – Pansexual Visibility Day
29 – Bank Holiday UK (Spring Bank Holiday)
