All - Leep Calendar

In Australia, the fourth Thursday of May is the Morning Tea for Cancer Day. Organized and promoted by Australia's Cancer Council, the Morning Tea for Cancer is a tradition that aims to raise awareness on fighting and preventing one of the world's deadliest diseases.

Africa

May

Mother Goose Day: May 1

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Mother Goose Day began in 1987 with Gloria T. Delamar, the author of Mother Goose; From Nursery to Literature, as a promotional tool for her book. Libraries, schools, cities, and even nursing homes celebrate the day as an opportunity to explore the history of nursery rhymes and children's literature.

Africa

May

Mother's Day (HT): May 31

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Mother's Day traditionally falls in May because it is the ceremonial birth month of Mary, Mother of Jesus. Though most nations celebrate it on the second Sunday of May, Haiti chooses the last Sunday as its day. Children (adult and minor) will wear red flowers if their mother is living and either purple or white to honor those who have passed.

Africa

May

Mother's Day: May 10

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The US Congress created Mother's Day on May 8, 1914, which always falls on the second Sunday in May. Over 60% of nations worldwide recognize this day as Mother's Day, and the remaining 40% have different days to celebrate mothers, usually tied to religious or cultural customs. Mother's Day celebrates the extraordinary importance of mothers in our lives. Historically, May is the month of mothers because it is the ceremonial month of the birth of Jesus' mother, the Virgin Mary. Her actual birthday is unknown.

Africa

May

Motherless Daughters Awareness Week (AU): May 2-9

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Mother's Day can be difficult for many people, but it is especially tough on daughters who have lost their mothers. Motherless Daughters Awareness Week is set aside each year in Australia to support children who have lost their mothers and to raise awareness of the issues they encounter.

Africa

May

Motorcycle Safety Month (US/CA), Ntl.: May

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Motorcycle Awareness Month is sponsored annually by MAC and The Motorcycle Safety Foundation® (MSF) in the United States and Canada. Its purpose is to promote awareness and safety of motorcyclists on roadways. Rider training and education, operator licensing tests, and public information programs are accessible in both nations. The MSF works with the federal government, state agencies, the military, and others to offer training for all skill levels so riders can enjoy a lifetime of safe, responsible motorcycling. Standards established by the MSF have been recognized worldwide since 1973.

Africa

May

Mount Saint Helens Eruption (US-WA)(1980): May 18

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On May 18, 1980, Mount St. Helens, a volcano in the Cascade Mountain range of the northwestern region of the United States, erupted, unleashing 24 megatons of thermal energy, removing the north side and shrinking the mountain's height by about 1,300 feet (400 m). It left a crater one by two-mile (1.6 X 3.2 km) gash in its wake. The blast cloud enveloped the 17 miles north of the volcano. The landslide traveled about 14 miles west down to the North Fork of the Toutle River, where debris eventually wiped out the bridge on Interstate 5, the main north-south highway between Mexico and Canada in the United States. Prevailing winds blew 520 million tons of ash east across the United States and caused complete darkness in Spokane, Washington, 250 miles from the volcano. Fifty-seven people died due to the eruption, in addition to over 7000 large game animals and around 12 million salmon. The plinian eruption was in the same category as the infamous Mount Vesuvius eruption of 79 AD and ranked five on the Volcanic Explosivity Index. That index measures volcanos on a scale of 1-7. Seven would match the volcanic eruption 600,000 years ago that created the Yellowstone Caldera when over 100 cubed kilometers of earth were extracted by its force. By contrast, Mount Saint Helens blew out 2.79 cubed kilometers. Experiencing the eruption My family had just moved to Portland, Oregon, from Silicon Valley in January 1980 when rumblings began registering on the mountain in February and March. We traded earthquakes for volcanos, it seemed. On May 18, the mountain completely exploded. I don't recall hearing it or seeing anything, but you could see the cloud from Seattle, Washington, and Portland, Oregon. That first significant explosion blew east rather than west where we lived. In the weeks following, one could follow the ash cloud spread in a large funnel shape from its origin, over the Rockies and into the Dakotas. The cloud was so large and dense in ash visible from outer space. I remember my father loading us in the FIAT and taking us to the top of Skyline Drive, which runs along the hills separating where we lived from the city of Portland and the Willamette River. It seemed to go on and on, as high as the eye could see. The mountain seemed to cough up billow after billow of gas and hot ash. We'd never seen anything like it and would later discover that the blast removed the mountaintop. Over the next several months, the mountain continued to erupt, with the wind not always in our favor. One particular Saturday, my parents held a garage sale. When we walked outside, it looked like it was snowing. It wasn't. It was ash, falling from the sky and covering it in several inches of grey, flaky dusk. That dust got into everything, turning into a thick paste when it rained. We had to walk around for days with monkey masks (my word at the time for the masks so standard now after COVID-19), which as a young teen, I detested. But the air was too thick to breathe. One of the aspects I remember fondly was when my father allowed me to help him take apart the engine of the FIAT and clean it. Every part of the car was caked in ash dust. Thank heaven Rosey's engine wasn't as complicated as today's. She had a manual choke, manual clutch, and no radio. It was a great learning experience and a tremendous father-daughter project. Little did I know that car would be mine in a few years. For those of us who witnessed Mount Saint Helens and her eruption, it is something we'll never forget. For us, far away, it was curiosity. For those close, fifty-seven people died, most from inhaling scalding ash. Round about the 25th anniversary, I found myself in Oregon again. Now in my thirties, I drove my car up to the mountain, which had reopened. The forest was beginning to come back. Animals had returned, and for a moment, it was nearly impossible to believe the event had ever happened. Then I glanced skyward toward the crater where a rounded dome once stood, and the reality returned. Oh yes, now, I remember. I remember it well.

Africa

May

MPS Awareness Day, Intl.: May 15

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International Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) Awareness Day raises awareness of this rare disease and its impact on families. Mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) and mucolipidosis (ML) are genetic lysosomal storage diseases (LSD) caused by a missing or insufficient enzyme that prevents cells from recycling waste, causing it to be stored in the cells, leading to widespread damage throughout the body, affecting joints and organ systems. Of the 11 syndrome types, only four have treatments—none have a cure.

Africa

May

Multiple Sclerosis Carnation Days (CA): May 9-10

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MS Carnation Days seeks to raise awareness about Multiple Sclerosis (MS). The carnation has long been associated with hope and finding a cure for MS. Canadians have one of the world's highest rates of multiple sclerosis. It is the most common neurological disease affecting young adults in Canada. Women are more than three times as likely to develop MS as men. MS can cause loss of balance, impaired speech, extreme fatigue, double vision, and paralysis. French neurologist Dr. Jean-Martin Charcot first identified the disease in 1868. The cause of MS is still unknown.

Africa

May

Multiple Sclerosis Day, World: May 30

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World MS Day is a global awareness campaign designed to unite the MS community, raise awareness of the effects of multiple sclerosis and support the families and loved ones of those afflicted. This event first ran in 2009.

Africa

May

Museum Day, Intl.: May 18

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International Museum Day first ran in 1977 and has continued each year since. It is a day to celebrate the world's museums, no matter how big or small, and their contribution to science, culture, and heritage. Currently, over 30,000 museums in 120 countries participate in this event. ICOM Advisory Committee decides each year's theme.

Africa

May

Music Week, Canadian (CA-ON): May 5-10

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Canadian Music Week is Canada’s leading annual entertainment event dedicated to the expression and growth of the nation’s music, media, and entertainment industries. Combining three information-intensive conferences, a trade exposition, a film festival, a comedy festival, four awards shows, and the nation’s largest new music festival, CMW occurs over five days. The festival can occur during any month in the spring. Participants include many top entertainers worldwide in music, film, comedy, technology, and the web. The actual date is set in the first quarter of each year.

Africa

May

Music Week, Ntl.: May 4-11

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The National Federation of Music Clubs promotes National Music Week in the US in May. Here are some ideas to begin your celebration of National Music Week! Business Firms, Banks and Malls can: Sponsor noon concerts. Prepare unique Music Week displays. Mention National Music Week in advertising. ________ Public and Private Schools can: Plan choral, band, and orchestral concerts in schools or malls for all ages. Prepare brief special music during the lunch hour or opening announcements. Encourage student participation in the Essay Contest. Print or read the winner's composition. Plan poster displays or contests for all ages for the week. ________ Music Clubs can: Order supplies soon from National Headquarters and distribute them. Ask for Mayors' Proclamations of NMW and distribute them. Plan special programs for clubs, malls, nursing homes, etc. Inform Arts Councils and Chambers of Commerce about NMW dates and themes and ask that they list it in their calendars. Put announcements of NMW in a symphony or other musical programs. Invite all of the groups above to participate!

Africa

May

Musical Instrument Day, Buy a: May 22

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Buy a Musical Instrument Day encourages people to get a musical instrument and learn to play. Whether you're the next Jimi Hendrix or just going to play for fun, the ability to play a musical instrument benefits your well-being and self-confidence and adds to the enjoyment of others. Championed by Gibson.

Africa

May

Mystery Month: May

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Agatha Christie, Sherlock Homes, Nancy Drew, and the Hardy Boys, mysteries have been a favorite genre of literature for hundreds of years. If it's been a while since you've curled up with a good mystery, take this month to enjoy. Need more time to read? Try one of the audio mysteries instead. However you celebrate, this is a month to enjoy a good mystery. This event began in 2011.

Africa