by The Justice William J. Murray Jr. Unity Bar Section

May is Asian American and Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander (AANHPI) Heritage Month. The month of May was chosen to commemorate the immigration of the first Japanese to the United States on May 7, 1843, and to mark the anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad on May 10, 1869; the majority of the workers who laid the tracks on the project were Chinese immigrants. May is also Older Americans Month, established in 1963 to honor the legacies and contributions of older Americans and to support them as they enter their next stage of life; Jewish American Heritage Month, which recognizes the diverse contributions of the Jewish people to American culture; and Mental Health Awareness Month or Mental Health Month, which aims to raise awareness and educate the public about mental illnesses and reduce the stigma that surrounds mental illnesses. 

May 1 is May Day (also called Workers’ Day or International Workers’ Day), a day that commemorates the struggles and gains made by workers and the labor movement. May 1 is also Beltane, an ancient Celtic, Pagan, and Wiccan holiday commemorated about halfway between the spring equinox and summer solstice; the day is often used to celebrate love and romance. May 2 is National Day of Prayer, a day of observance in the United States when people are asked to “turn to God in prayer and meditation.” May 3 is Feasts of Saints Philip and James, a Roman rite feast day held on the anniversary of the dedication of the Church to Saints Phillip and James in Rome. May 5 is Cinco de Mayo, a Mexican holiday commemorating the Mexican Army’s 1862 victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War (1861–1867). May 5 is also Orthodox Easter (or Pascha), a later Easter date than what is observed by many Western churches. May 9 is Ascension of Jesus or Ascension Day, celebrated as the ascension of Christ from Earth in the presence of God within most of the Christian faith. May 10 is Military Spouse Appreciation Day, an annual occasion observed on the Friday before Mother’s Day to recognize and honor the support and sacrifices of military spouses in the U.S.

May 15 is Buddha Day (or Vesak or Visakha Puja), a Buddhist festival that marks Gautama Buddha’s birth, enlightenment, and death; it falls on the day of the full moon in May and is a gazetted holiday in India. May 16 is Global Accessibility Awareness Day; an awareness day focusing on digital access and inclusion for the more than one billion people alive today who live with disabilities or impairments; it is marked annually on the third Thursday of May. May 17 is International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia, and Biphobia, a global celebration of sexual orientation and gender diversities. May 19 is Malcom X Day, a holiday celebrated either on May 19th, his birthday, or on the third Friday in May, to commemorate the Civil Rights leader. May 19 is also Pentecost, a Christian holiday which takes place on the 50th day after Easter Sunday; it commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the Apostles and other followers of Jesus Christ while they were in Jerusalem celebrating the Feast of Weeks, as described in the Acts of the Apostles. May 20 is Armed Forces Day, the third Saturday in May paying tribute to the military personnel serving in the United States Armed Forces.

May 21 is World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development, a day set aside by the United Nations as an opportunity to deepen our understanding of the values of cultural diversity and to learn to live together in harmony. May 22 to 23 (sundown to sundown) is Declaration of the Báb, the day of declaration of the Báb, the forerunner of Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Bahá’í faith. May 25 to 26 (sundown to sundown) is Lag BaOmer, a Jewish holiday marking the day of hillula of Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai. May 26 is Trinity Sunday, observed in the Western Christian faith as a feast in honor of the Holy Trinity. May 27 is Memorial Day, a federal holiday established to honor military veterans who died in wars fought by U.S. forces. May 27 to May 28 is Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh, commemorating the ascension of Bahá’u’lláh, the founder of the Bahá’í faith. May 30 is Corpus Christi, a Catholic holiday celebrating the presence of the body and blood of Christ in the Eucharist.