May is the fifth month of the year, has 31 days, and is named after the Greek goddess Maia.

May is the fifth month of the year in our modern day Gregorian calendar.

Naming May – Maia’s Month

May is the fifth month of the year in the Gregorian calendar and its predecessor, the Julian calendar.  It is named after the Greek goddess, Maia who is also identified with the Roman goddess of fertility, Bona Dea.

• Old English – Maius
• Latin name – Maius mensis – Month of Maia
• Old French – Mai

History of May

May was originally the third month of the year in older versions of the Roman calendar and consisted of 31 days. It became the fifth month when the months January  and February were added to the calendar.

Fifth Month in the Year

May is the fifth month of the year in the Julian and Gregorian calendar and consists of 31 days. It is commonly associated as a month of spring in the Northern Hemisphere and autumn (fall) in the Southern hemisphere. It is said that this is the month when plants really start to grow.

May does not start or end on the same day of the week as any other month.

Birth Flower and Stone

Its birth flower is the Lily of the Valley and the Crataegus monogyna.

The birthstone for May is the emerald which represents love or success.