May returns with a bang and an extra Bank Holiday as the UK celebrates the coronation of King Charles III. The Bank Holidays are 01/05/2023, 08/05/2023, and 29/05/2023. There will be many street parties and festivities, and as I spent the Jubilee celebrations as a resident of Leeds NHS Trust, I intend to have an extra Pimms or two!
May even starts with a Bank Holiday 01/05/2023 which is also International Workers’ Day.
May is Local and Community History, which is something that all businesses can be involved in. National Mills Weekend returns in May as well, an excellent opportunity to celebrate and learn about the role of mills across the UK. If your business is based in a mill it would be an excellent opportunity to show off your base, I’m looking at you Farsley businesses. Heritage wise, 18/05/2023 is International Museum Day.
A week to enjoy, National Stationery Week returns 15/05/2023. I love a good notebook. I love a good donut too, and the Children’s Trust’s National Donut Week also returns 20/05/2023. Sprinkles? Glazed? Whatever your flavour, remember to link back to the Children’s Trust.
Also running from 15/05/2023 to 21/05/2023 is Mental Health Awareness Week. The theme this year is ‘anxiety’.
National Share a Story Month returns in May with the theme of Sail Away In A Story. Social media can be a very good platform to raise your products profile though it is important to also share yourself. Customers will appreciate a business more if they know a little about the people behind the products.
Those boots were made for walking – ok, maybe not but they are beautiful. May also sees the return of National Walking Month. Hospitality and tourism businesses will have something to share during this month, as will leisure businesses.
World Press Freedom Day was declared by the United Nations General Assessment as 03/05/2023.
Other awareness days:
- Month long observances for Celiac Awareness Month, Cystic Fibrosis Awareness Month, Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome Awareness Month, Huntington’s Disease Awareness, and Skin Cancer Awareness Month
- World Asthma Day is held on 02/05/2023
- Sun Day to celebrate solar power is 03/05/2023
- Anti-Bullying Day (UN) is 04/05/2023
- International Firefighers’ Day is 04/05/2023
- Star Wars Day is May the 4th
- International Day of the Midwife on 05/05/2023
- Wesak (Buddha Day, Buddhist) will be 05/05/2023
- Free Comic Book Day is 06/05/2023
- Time of Remembrance and Reconciliation for Those Who Lost Their Lives during the Second World War (UN) is 08/05/2023
- World Red Cross and Red Crescent Day is 08/05/2023
- Europe Day is 09/05/2023
- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Awareness Day is held on 12/05/2023
- International Nurses Day will be 12/05/2023
- World Fair Trade Day will be 14/05/2023
- International Day of Families (UN) is 15/05/2023
- National Smile Month begins 15/05/2023 to 15/06/2023
- World Hypertension Day is 17/05/2023
- World AIDS Vaccine Day is held 18/05/2023
- Ascension (Christian) will be 18/05/2023
- World Whisky Day will be 20/05/2023
- World Day for Cultural Diversity for Dialogue and Development (UN) is 21/05/2023
- International Day for Biological Diversity (UN) is 22/05/2023
- Declaration of the Báb (Baháʼí) will be 24/05/2023
- Shavuot (Jewish, first day) will be 26/05/2023
- World MS Day will be 27/05/2023
- Pentecost will be 28/05/2023
- World No Tobacco Day is 31/05/2023