Sandra Ruzanka, age 13, of Birmingham, Ala., for her question:
WHY DO WE CALL THIS MONTH MAY?
There are a number of stories about how the fifth month of the year earned the name of May. Perhaps the most widely accepted one is that it was named for Maia, the Roman goddess of spring and growth.
A large number of scholars, however, say that May is short for "majores," the Latin word for "older men." They say that May was the month sacred to the majores just as June was the month considered sacred for the "juniores," or "young men."
Most people living in the North Temperate Zone, which includes almost all in Canada and the United States, agree that May is one of the most beautiful months of the year. The last of the snow and ice seems to be disappearing and the summer's heat is still off in the distance.
Also, the gardens seem to do their best sprouting during the month of May. The trees and grass take on new green and flowers bloom brightly. May is also the time for wildflowers in many places.
May is the time that many birds build their nests and lay eggs which will soon hatch.
On the early Roman calendar, May was the third month of the year and March was the first. January and February were the 11th and 12th months. Then Julius Caesar came along and changed the calendar to begin with January, making May the fifth month. May has always had 31 days.
In ancient times, May 1 was a day for outdoor festivals. In Rome, May 1 fell at a time that was sacred to Flora, the goddess of flowers. The Romans celebrated the day with flower decked parades.
The English also observed many beautiful May day customs. Maypoles were erected in village parks. Youths gathered "Mayflowers," or hawthorn blossoms, to trim the Maypoles. Girls wore their prettiest dresses, hoping to be elected May queen.
In most of the United States, the last Monday in May is observed as Memorial Day, or Decoration Day. It is a legal holiday in memory of those who died in the Civil War, the Spanish American War, World Wars I and II, the Korean War and the Vietnam War.
On Memorial Day, the graves of war heroes are decorated with flags and flowers. Memorial Day was first celebrated in 1868.
Two special days in May have been set aside by presidential proclamations as unique holidays. Perhaps the most important is Mother's Day. It was first observed in 1907 and was recognized officially by Congress and the President in 1914. It is celebrated in honor of the nation's mothers on the second Sunday in May.
On the third Saturday of the month is Armed Forces Day, when the United States honors the men and women of the military services. In 1950, the Armed Forces Day celebration combined the Army, Navy and Air Force tributes, which had been held at separate times.
Two important and major sporting events happen in May: the Indianapolis 500 motor car race at the end of the month in Indiana, and the Kentucky Derby, the world's most famous horse race, which takes place at Churchill Downs in Louisville on the first Saturday in the month.