May 2009 Calendar of Events

May brings flocks of pretty lambs
Skipping by their fleecy dams.

--from "The Garden Year" by Sara Coleridge



Holidays, History, and Heritage

May is...

Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month (United States)

National Historic Preservation Month (United States)
(see link below for May Day)

National Teachers Month (United States)
Do you have a teacher in your family tree?

Older Americans' Month (United States)
Honor your living ancestors and older relatives.

May 1: May Day - Do one thing for emergency preparedness

May 5: Cinco de Mayo (Mexico)

May 10: Mother's Day (United States)

May 16: International Day for Sharing Life Stories
Armed Forces Day (United States)

May 17: Søttende mai (Norwegian Constitution Day)

May 25: Memorial Day or Decoration Day
Originally observed to honor the dead of the U.S. Civil War;
now commemorated for all military dead.
Many people clean and decorate family graves during this time.

Do any of the above events feature in or affect your heritage, culture, or family history?



Deadlines for Carnivals and Other Events:

Need help? Read my post, "How to Submit a Post to a Carnival", here.

Posted May 1 - the 3rd Edition of the Graveyard Rabbit Carnival - Cemetery Preservation

Posted May 3 - the 71st edition of the Carnival of Genealogy - Local History

Posted May 20 - the 72nd edition of the Carnival of Genealogy - Honoring Mothers

Posted May 20 - the 13th edition of the "I Smile for the Camera" Carnival - All Creatures Great and Small

Posted May 28 - the 13th Edition of the Carnival of Irish Heritage and Culture - Irish Names

Posted May 29 - the 19th Edition of the Carnival of Central and Eastern European Genealogy - Traditional Dishes

Posted May 30 - the Premiere Edition of A Festival of Postcards - Wheels

Please note: the 18th Edition of the Cabinet of Curiosities was postponed until host Tim Abbott recovered from illness. Stay tuned.

Heads up! Submissions for the 5th Edition of the Canadian Genealogy Carnival ("Vacations") will be due July 12.



May 1 - Data Backup Day

Read the latest "Today is Backup Day!" post by Thomas MacEntee at Geneabloggers.



Scanfest: Sunday, May 31st, 11 AM - 2 PM, Pacific Daylight Time

Go here to learn how to join Scanfest and our group of chatting, scanning family archivists, historians, and bloggers!

Go here to add the above deadlines and dates to your Google Calendar,
courtesy of Thomas MacEntee of Geneabloggers.

Now children may
Go out of doors,
Without their coats,
To candy stores.

The apple branches
And the pear
May float their blossoms
Through the air,

And Daddy may
Get out his hoe
To plant tomatoes
In a row,

And, afterwards,
May lazily
Look at some baseball
On TV.

--"May," by John Updike