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Friday, October 23, 2026
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Library at a glance
259 briefs · 43 iconic · 5 categories · 54 countries
Library by month
259 briefs across the calendar - click a month to filter
Showing 30 briefs in May.
Clear filtersFederal holiday(4)
Constitution Day in Norway - May 17, when children parade through town and almost nobody works
Constitution Day in Norway is on May 17, commemorating the signing of the constitution at Eidsvoll in 1814. It is one of only two Norwegian public holidays with no religious basis, and by long tradition nobody works.
Japan Constitution Day (Kenpo Kinenbi) - May 3, the 1947 Constitution
Japan's Constitution Memorial Day (Kenpo Kinenbi) on May 3 marks the 1947 entry into force of the postwar Constitution. Drafted under Allied occupation, the document enshrined Article 9 pacifism, fundamental human rights, and popular sovereignty, and the holiday is the second day of Golden Week.
Victoria Day - the Monday preceding May 25, the Canadian federal holiday honouring Queen Victoria and the reigning monarch
Victoria Day is the Canadian federal holiday falling on the Monday preceding May 25, honouring Queen Victoria (1819-1901), whose birthday was May 24. Observed in all Canadian provinces and territories except Quebec, it is the unofficial marker of the start of summer in Canada.
Yom Ha'atzmaut - Israeli Independence Day, the declaration of the State of Israel, and the modern Jewish homeland
Yom Ha'atzmaut is the Israeli national day, observed on the 5th day of the Hebrew month of Iyar, commemorating the declaration of the establishment of the State of Israel on May 14, 1948. The festival is marked by official ceremonies, the lighting of twelve torches representing the tribes of Israel, military parades, barbecues, and the singing of Hatikvah (the national anthem).
Civic memorial(3)
Children's Day in South Korea (Eorini-nal) - May 5, the 1923 origin and modern observance
Children's Day (Eorini-nal, 어린이날) on May 5 is a South Korean national public holiday marking the 1923 children's festival organised by Bhang Jeong-sil in Seoul. Made a national public holiday in 1975 and observed with family outings and free entry to museums and palaces.
Memorial Day - the last Monday of May, federal status, and how it differs from Veterans Day
Memorial Day on the last Monday of May is a US federal holiday honoring those who died in military service. Originally Decoration Day (1868), it is distinct from Veterans Day which honors all who served. One of 11 federal holidays under 5 U.S.C. 6103.
National Maritime Day - May 22, the 1819 Savannah crossing, and the US Merchant Marine
National Maritime Day is observed on May 22 in the United States, commemorating the 1819 transatlantic crossing of the steamship Savannah from Georgia to Liverpool. Federally proclaimed since 1933 (47 Stat. 798), it honors the US Merchant Marine and the nation’s commercial seafarers. Not a federal holiday.
Cultural celebration(10)
Cinco de Mayo - what it actually commemorates and how it is observed in the US vs Mexico
Cinco de Mayo marks the 1862 Battle of Puebla, in which a Mexican militia defeated a French force twice its size. In Mexico it is a regional civic holiday with most activity concentrated in Puebla; in the United States it has become a marketing-driven celebration of Mexican-American identity, food, and drink, often confused with Mexican Independence Day.
Dano - the Korean May fifth festival, where women rest on their husbands' backs and rice wine marks the day
Dano is a Korean festival on the fifth day of the fifth lunar month. Labour traditionally pauses, women rest on their husbands' backs, families play yutnori, and everyone drinks makgeolli rice wine - one of the five major holidays of the Korean calendar.
Dragon Boat Festival - Duanwu, the 5th day of the 5th lunar month, dragon boat races, and zongzi
Dragon Boat Festival (Duanwu) on the 5th day of the 5th lunar month is a Chinese festival commemorating the poet-statesman Qu Yuan (ca. 340-278 BC), observed with dragon boat races, zongzi (sticky rice dumplings), and hanging calamus and mugwort. A 3-day public holiday in mainland China.
May the Fourth - Star Wars Day, the pun holiday born from a London Evening News typo
Star Wars Day (May the Fourth Be With You) on May 4 is a fan-recognised observance of the Star Wars franchise, anchored on a date-pun that circulated in political and tabloid contexts from the late 1970s and became a global commercial event in the 2010s through Lucasfilm and Disney.
Mothers Day - second Sunday of May, Anna Jarvis origin, and how the US observes it
Mothers Day on the second Sunday of May is a US cultural holiday honoring mothers and motherhood. Not a federal holiday. Established 1914. One of the largest commercial gifting events of the US calendar. Originated by Anna Jarvis in 1908.
Sham el-Nessim - the Egyptian spring festival, the Monday after Easter when the Nile goes out and eggs are dyed
Sham el-Nessim is the Egyptian Coptic spring festival held on the Monday after Easter. Families dye and eat eggs, spend the whole holiday at the Nile or the coast, and celebrate the first warm days of spring.
Spring Bank Holiday - the last Monday of May in the UK, what it actually commemorates, and how it differs across Britain
The Spring Bank Holiday on the last Monday of May is a UK public holiday distinct from the Early May Bank Holiday. It has no single fixed commemoration; it was created as a movable long-weekend in 1971 and currently falls on the Monday following Pentecost in the liturgical calendar.
Towel Day - May 25, Douglas Adams tribute
Towel Day on May 25 honours the late author Douglas Adams (The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy). Towel-carriers are a global fandom tradition since 2001. Not a public holiday.
Beltane - the Gaelic May Day, the fires of purification, and the union of earth and sky
Beltane is the Gaelic May Day festival, observed on April 30-May 1 in Ireland, Scotland, and the Isle of Man. The festival marks the beginning of summer and the union of the Earth Mother and Sky Father, with the lighting of bonfires, the Maypole dance, and the symbolic protection of livestock as they are moved to summer pastures.
Boun Bang Fai - the Lao Rocket Festival, the celebration of the rains, and the rocket competitions of Southeast Asia
Boun Bang Fai (the Rocket Festival) is a traditional Lao festival celebrated in May or June, marking the beginning of the rainy season and the start of the rice-growing season. The festival is observed with the firing of homemade rockets (bang fai), which are believed to encourage the rain gods to send the rains needed for the rice crop.
Religious observance(7)
Eid al-Adha - the Islamic Festival of Sacrifice, 10 Dhu al-Hijjah, and how it is observed
Eid al-Adha is the Islamic Festival of Sacrifice on 10 Dhu al-Hijjah (the 12th and final month of the Hijri calendar), coinciding with the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca. Commemorates the willingness of Ibrahim (Abraham) to sacrifice his son. Public holiday in most Muslim-majority countries.
Galungan - the Balinese day of dharma's return, and the 210-day pawukon cycle
Galungan is the Balinese Hindu festival marking the return of dharma after Bhatara Guru's descent into the underworld. It always falls on a Wednesday and recurs on a 210-day pawukon cycle, so Bali sees it roughly twice a Gregorian year.
Buddha's Birthday in South Korea (Seokgatenil) - 8th day of the 4th lunar month
Buddha's Birthday (Seokgatenil, 석가탄신일) on the 8th day of the 4th lunar month is a South Korean national public holiday marking the birth, enlightenment, and parinirvana of the Buddha. Observed with the Lotus Lantern Festival and temple events in Seoul and nationwide.
Laylat al-Qadr - the Night of Power, the odd nights of Ramadan, and the thousand-month reward
Laylat al-Qadr is the Night of Power in Islam, observed on one of the odd nights during the last ten days of Ramadan (most commonly the 27th). The night marks the revelation of the Qur'an to the Prophet Muhammad and is considered the holiest night of the Islamic calendar. Worship on this night is said to be better than a thousand months of worship.
Vesak - Buddha Purnima, the birth, enlightenment, and death of the Buddha, observed across Buddhist Asia
Vesak (also Buddha Purnima or Wesak) is the most important Buddhist holiday, observed on the full moon of the Hindu month of Vaisakha (April-May) to commemorate the birth, enlightenment, and death of Siddhartha Gautama. A public holiday in Sri Lanka, Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Laos, Bangladesh, Nepal, and parts of India.
Ascension Day - the Christian feast of the ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven, 40 days after Easter
Ascension Day is a Christian feast observed on the 40th day after Easter, commemorating the ascension of Jesus Christ into heaven in the presence of his disciples, as described in Acts 1:9-11. The day is observed 40 days after Easter Sunday (always on a Thursday, marking the 6th week of Eastertide).
Shavuot - the Jewish festival of weeks, the giving of the Torah, and the first-fruits offering
Shavuot is a Jewish festival celebrated on the 6th day of the Hebrew month of Sivan, commemorating the giving of the Torah at Mount Sinai and the offering of the first-fruits (bikkurim) at the Temple in Jerusalem. The festival marks the conclusion of the seven-week Omer period that begins on Passover.
International observance(6)
May Day - May 1, International Workers Day and the traditional spring festival across Europe
May Day on May 1 is observed worldwide as both International Workers Day (a labour movement commemoration since 1890) and a traditional spring festival (May Day / Beltane in Celtic cultures, Maifest in Germanic cultures). A public holiday in most countries outside the United States.
Star Wars Day - May the 4th, the 1979 pun origin, and how fans observe May 4 (and Revenge of the Fifth)
Star Wars Day (May 4) is an informal fan holiday observed by Star Wars enthusiasts worldwide, playing on the line "May the Force be with you" sounding like "May the Fourth." Originated in a 1979 UK newspaper congratulation to Margaret Thatcher. Not a public holiday; observed with film marathons, cosplay, and Disney/Lucasfilm promotional events.
International Day of Light - May 16, the UNESCO day marking the anniversary of the first laser
International Day of Light on May 16 is a UNESCO-recognised annual day first observed in 2018 to mark the anniversary of the first successful laser operation by Theodore Maiman on May 16, 1960. Celebrates light science, photonics, and the role of light in technology, culture, and sustainable development. Not a public holiday.
World Bee Day - May 20, UN observance raising pollinator awareness since 2017
World Bee Day on May 20 is a UN observance established in 2017 to raise awareness of the importance of bees and other pollinators for food security. The date marks the birth of Anton Janša, the 18th-century Slovenian pioneer of modern beekeeping. Each year has an annual theme. Not a public holiday.
World Press Freedom Day - May 3, the UNESCO declaration, and why journalists mark it
World Press Freedom Day on May 3 is a UNESCO-recognised international observance established in 1993. Each year the UN/UNESCO Guillermo Cano World Press Freedom Prize is awarded. Observed with conferences, press-club events, and the Global Conference on Press Freedom hosted by a rotating UN member state. Not a public holiday.
World Press Photo Day - May 3, photojournalism and visual journalism
World Press Photo Day on May 3 spotlights photojournalism, the World Press Photo annual contest, and the role of visual journalism in informing the public. Observed alongside World Press Freedom Day. Not a public holiday.