Yay for May! May 2026 holidays and celebrations
Flowers are blooming, students are graduating and moms are getting some well-deserved appreciation. What a fabulous month! So it’s time to flip the calendar page, check out May holidays and observances, and start thinking about who we’re connecting with this month. And we’ve shared some ideas to help you celebrate.
Inspired? Create and share by tagging @Hallmark.
Taurus (April 20–May 20)
Gemini (May 21-June 20)
Your Special Days in May
Grab your calendar and a notepad. We’ve listed holidays below for you to add (and make lists of people you want to send cards, letters and gifts to). For your personal list, think about:
- Birthdays
- Weddings and anniversaries
- New babies and showers
- New jobs, promotions and retirements
- Thank-you notes
- Special events
- People you’re thinking about or praying for
- Folks you’ve been meaning to get in touch with
- Friends who need some extra care
Time to stock up?
Do you need:
May Holidays and Observances
May is Asian American and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month.
May is Jewish American Heritage Month.
All Month:
Graduation
- Shop graduation cards
- Shop graduation gifts, decorations and wrap
- See what to write in a graduation card
- See what to write in a graduation thank-you note
- Browse decorations and more graduation ideas
Asian American and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month
- What is Asian American and Pacific Islanders Heritage Month?
- Shop Eight Bamboo, celebrating the rich Chinese and Chinese-American culture with greeting cards and gifts for holidays and milestone moments.
- Shop Golden Thread, a line of greeting cards and gifts for special occasions and everyday moments. It reflects the genuine joy of Indian celebrations and holidays.
Jewish American Heritage Month
- What is Jewish American Heritage Month?
- Shop Tree of Life, celebrating the Jewish faith with greeting cards and gifts for holidays, milestones and celebrations.
National Military Appreciation Month
Teacher Appreciation Day is May 6.
National Nurses Day is May 6.
May 4:
Star Wars Day (May the Fourth be with you.)
- Shop Star Wars gifts
May 5:
Cinco de Mayo
Teacher Appreciation Day
- What is Teacher Appreciation Week?
- Shop Teacher Appreciation cards
- Shop Teacher Appreciation gifts
- See appreciation ideas that mean the most to educators
- Browse crafts and more Teacher Appreciation ideas
May 6:
National Nurses Day
- What is Nurses Day?
- Shop Nurses Day cards
- Find ways to show gratitude for health care professionals
Mother’s Day is May 10.
Memorial Day is May 25.
May 10:
Mother’s Day
- What is Mother’s Day?
- Shop cards
- Shop gifts
- What to write in a Mother’s Day card
- When Mother’s Day is hard—how to support those who are hurting
- Get ideas for what to write in an appreciation card
- Shop thank-you cards
May 24:
National Brothers Day
May 25:
Memorial Day
- Shop Memorial Day cards
- Browse Memorial Day ideas
More Ideas for May
Send a graduate a gift
Such an exciting time in a lot of young—and not-so-young—lives this month. Make them feel special and put together a graduation gift with a personal touch.
Surprise your mom
There are lots of ways to celebrate moms. Show her some love with some ideas that aren’t brunch.
Write Mom and appreciation letter
Get inspiration for a letter to Mom that will make her day.
You may also like
See more-
Mahogany Why fall always feels like a fresh start
One of my favorite childhood rituals happened before the school year even began. Long before the first day of school,...
-
DaySpring If you struggle to accept what is
Statements that come out of my mouth during summer include: “Why can’t I grow magnolias?” “Why don’t we have live...
-
Halloween Halloween boo bag ideas for your entire boo crew
If you’re looking for some good-natured Halloween hijinks, boo bags would be the perfect fun tradition to add to your...
-
Gift Wrapping How to put tissue paper in a gift bag
Gift bag + tissue paper = a quick gift-wrap solution. Sure, it’s easy enough, but there are a couple of tricks to ...
-
DaySpring Create space for faith in your everyday planning
Despite the ease of planning and scheduling our lives on our electronic devices, many of us find a physical planner o...
-
Mahogany How to let go of the familiar and embrace the unknown
For my 27th birthday, I planned to go to Paris with my then boyfriend—but we broke up a few months before the trip. F...
-
DaySpring Even though we must rest, our God keeps watch always
The day my husband and I brought our firstborn baby home was both magical and frightening. Still in our 20s, we’d be...
-
DaySpring Reading, writing and recharging our faith
There’s something in the air. Parents and kids scurry through the retail aisles, checking supply lists, picking out n...
-
Halloween Gosh! What a fun surprise for Disney fans! 🦇
Is it even really Halloween without a little lighthearted mischief? We don't think so. That's why we love this motion...
-
Halloween Allergy-friendly Halloween treats and nonfood alternatives for trick-or-treaters
A lot of us don’t think about how many allergens are in most traditional Halloween treats. But if you have little one...
-
Halloween Come on and brew a potion with me! 🧙♀️🫧
The air is changing, it's very clear— Halloween is drawing near! For tiny goblins and little ghosts, this is the nigh...
-
DaySpring Always pray and never give up
My longest running prayer request—sometimes whispered with bated breath—was to someday be married. All throughout my ...
-
Mahogany How swimming lessons at 46 became the refill I didn’t know I needed
This summer, I conquered my biggest fear. At 46 years old, I learned how to swim. I said it plainly, the way I say m...
-
DaySpring Meet the DaySpring contributors
The DaySpring Writing Community is where women of different ages, life stages, cultural backgrounds and church tradit...
-
Christmas Stocking stuffer ideas for literally everyone on your list
The stocking stuffer struggle is real. By the time you’ve bought your main presents, you feel like you’re all out of ...
-
Halloween For the ones with the most sincere pumpkin patch 🐾🎃
It's the 60th anniversary of "It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown!" and Peanuts gang is here to help you make this ...
-
Back to School Thoughtful back-to-school gift ideas to start the school year strong
Back to school is a busy time of year when everyone’s excited…and also maybe a little nervous or stressed. That’s why...
-
Halloween Your Halloween bucket list: fun, cozy and creative things to do all October long
It’s no surprise that Halloween is a favorite for many. It’s a season filled with pumpkin carving, crisp breezes and ...
-
Keepsake Ornaments Add some Halloween glee to your tree! 🎃
From sassy cats to friendly ghosts, vintage vampires to mischievous kittens, we have lots of options if you're lookin...
-
Mahogany You do it all with so much grace
I was sitting in a coffee shop the other morning, when a woman walked up to me. She looked at me and touched my arm a...