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May the Fourth be with Star Wars fans. But this list of special days in May 2024 seeks the keen interest of seniors, caregivers, and people involved in healthcare and wellbeing and social benefit - whether you be caregiving or caretaking in this benevolent equation exclusive to “People who Exchange Care with Others”.
I’m sitting here in one of America’s finer states for a mild quality of life wondering how to spend May.
Active in May? Restful in May? Eat, Sleep, May, Repeat! These “Lesser-Known May Days” don’t have to go forgotten if you take a moment to press pause, reflect, and celebrate. …or if you stay with me… Get to know some less-aware social issues of importance to only certain Americans…
It’s Get Busy Living or Get Busy Dying For Friends of Aging Americans To Carpe Diem (Latin for “Seize the Day”, or also spoken by Horace "Pluck the Day [as it is ripe, like a fruit]" in Rome).
May you have a wonderful 31 days full!
Mark down your favorite date or cancel that calendar if you get bored!
Graycare 365: January 2024, February 2024, March 2024, April 2024, May 2024, June 2024, July 2024, August 2025, September 2025, October 2024, November 2024, December 2024.
📘 May 1, 2024 May Day means labor rights to benefit all workers.
What used to be a summer starter holiday for dancing around maypoles in dresses with flowers has transformed into modern history of labor rights. International Labor Day or “May Day” is not commonly celebrated in the USA as it is in other countries. It’s a day to ponder the worker’s worth and recognize the ongoing struggle for balanced labor rights.
📘 May 6, 2024 National Nurses Day is dedicated to American nurses.
Here’s one day for the over 3,000,000 (three million) registered nurses (RN) in the United States. National Nurses Day marks the beginning of 6 consecutive days dedicated to the nursing profession. Just 6 days after USA’s National Nurses Day, it’s time for International Nurses Day around the globe! Patient by patient, nurses deliver essential care that keeps greater society healthy in body and soul.
📘 May 8, 2024 VE Day (or V-E Day) marks the end of World War II in Europe.
May we hold deer peace and liberty today my friends! May we honor American veterans who served in WWII. It was on this day 1945 when Nazi Germany formally surrendered to the Allied forces to end the fighting in Europe, hence the name. On V-E day, about 3 million American troops were still stationed in Europe far from home. Coincidence with National Nurses day?
📘 May 10, 2024 World Lupus Day tells you about this incurable
An estimated 1.5 million Americans suffer from lupus, and about 200,000 new cases are reported per year. Lupus is not contagious from person to person. Also called systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is an autoimmune disease systemic that attacks the skin, muscles and more. Cutaneous lupus is the most well-known kind of lupus because of the associated red shaped rashes on the skin. But lupus, even cutaneous lupus, can attack internal organs too. Download your World Lupus Day media kit from worldlupusday.org.
📘 May 12, 2024 Mother's Day is when you say “Wow, thanks Mom!”.
If any day is a good one to get a mom heart tattoo, this is it! (First try a non-toxic temporary mom tattoo #ad, I’d recommend.) Mother is the matriarch today, if not everyday in many households. The first Mother’s Day was brought into place by Anna Jarvis who around civil war time formed clubs healing the sick though hygiene and medication and hiring women to work for families with ill mothers. I’ll let more experienced mothers choose how they like to celebrate this day. Flowers and a nice card might be a good start.
📘 May 12, 2024 International Nurses Day puts nurses first as fine professionals who keep people feeling better!
This significant date is even more widely celebrated around the world than National Nurses Day 6 days previous. It’s held on May 12 because that’s the birth anniversary of Florence Nightingale, a legendary nurse in England during the 1800s. Seeing a nurse today? Let them know how much you appreciate their consistent quality care.
📘 May 15, 2024 International Day of Families talks about wonders and woesof families.
Make this day a reminder of the value of family relationships. A healthy family provides essentials like shelter, nourishment, support, and companionship. To celebrate, you get a cool new theme every year - try on for size "Families and New Technologies" in 2021, "Men in charge?" in 2015, and "Ensuring work family balance" in 2012. Caregiver is the broadest term for both paid and unpaid direct care workers. Family caregivers (or call them informal caregivers, or unpaid caregivers, or just caregivers) are what holds the family unit together.
📘 May 17, 2024 World Hypertension Day raises awareness about high blood pressure and promotes preventive measures to reduce its prevalence.
Hypertension contributes to over 600,000 deaths in America each year. Hypertension is when you have high blood pressure, so there’s more pressure on the walls of your veins and arteries that carry blood I think. Graycare is NOT a doctor. Some things are for sure: “Hypertension in older adults is related to adverse cardiovascular outcomes, such as heart failure, stroke, myocardial infarction, and death.” Hypertension is more common than you think, and definitely worth America’s awareness today! Most people try to eat healthy and exercise to prevent heart disease, and that’s great! Cardiovascular disease (CVD, mainly heart diseases, but also diseases with the blood vessels).
📘 May 18, 2024 Armed Forces Day pays tribute to people currently serving in the United States armed forces.
To those who serve and protect, we salute you! Active service in the U.S. defends our country, our values, our communities, and our families - each one is so important! Today, we reflect on the vital role of military service, and thank the men and women of the U.S. Armed Forces.
📘 May 20, 2024 World Bee Day is the month’s biggest buzz.
It’s not fun to get stung by a bee, but bees are important pollinator workers, who balance the ecosystem with things like bright flowers and sweet honey.
📘 May 22, 2024 World Goth Day gets people talking about goth culture.
Goth culture is more than black color clothes and makeup, scary distorted scream rock, and hanging out at Hot Topic back in the 90s. Goth (I’ve heard) is a "way of seeing and of being seen". Goth is a subculture embracing individual expression by adding your own part to your gothness. Goths too grow and age, tattoos and all.
📘 May 25, 2024 National Wine Day is a top shelf celebration in fine moderation.
Please pass a glass of that sweet berry wine. A small taste of wine sure is a nice way to unwind, even better if you can do it with the company of a comandante to cheers with. I’m pretty sure world researchers are saying these days no amount of alcohol is good for your health. But responsible enjoyment of a glass or two to indulge in its dry cultural significance wouldn’t hurt too bad. Graycare is NOT a doctor.
📘 May 28, 2024 National Hamburger Day celebrates the All-American Burger.
The history of America’s favorite sandwich is shrouded in mystery. We don’t know where it got its name. We’re aware there’s a city in Germany called “Hamburg” but we just can’t confirm a connection between “Hamburger the Burger” 🍔 and “Hamburg the City” 🇩🇪. Unconfirmed rumor has it people migrating from Germany to America got served a tasty sandwich with beef between bread that they’d never tasted before - and they never went back.
📘 May 29, 2024 Memorial Day honors the people whose lives were lost while serving in the U.S. military.
We recognize the sacrifice of American lives lost to protect the United States. Memorial Day holds particular significance, with ceremonies and events paying tribute to the sacrifices made for freedom and peace. The first-ever Memorial Day was in 1868 when John A Logan, a serviceman and politician representing American Civil War Veterans. Known back then as Decoration Day, they decorated the graves of Civil War soldiers—Union and Confederate with flowers to respect fallen soldiers on both sides.
📘 May 29, 2024 National Senior Health and Fitness Day gets older people moving.
When’s a good time to prioritize your health? This day reminds you real fitness requires regular physical activity. Do a little something to get those buns shaking today! And do it again tomorrow. MICHIGAN SENIORS PRO TIP: During cold wintertime, ain’t no shame pacing back and forth inside your warm home to get in some loops and sweat.
📘 May 31, 2024 World No Tobacco Day shows the dark spots of tobacco use.
Any age is a good time to quit tobacco. It’s addictive stuff! Health risks of smoking, chewing, vaping, sticking a pouch in there, or fine brown powdery snuff. Geez oh Petes if tobacco ain’t linked to several health risks, and we all know it. Cessation is a technical term when a healthcare professional supports a person to quit tobacco I think. Graycare is NOT a doctor.
