May is Here!-Written by Fatima, GiGi’s NYC Participant

There are some wonderful holidays to celebrate in May. For example, National Life Insurance Day, Cinco de Mayo, Greek Orthodox Easter, Mother’s Day, National Visit Relatives Day, World Baking Day, and Memorial Day, among others.

National Life Insurance Day was on Thursday, May 2nd, and a lot of people celebrate by taking the time to review their life insurance policy and making sure it’s still meeting their needs. This day was created to raise awareness about the importance of life insurance and how it could help protect your family in case something unexpected happens.

Cinco de Mayo is celebrated on May 5th every year, and a lot of people celebrate the occasion in different ways. For example, people like to go to parades and parties with mariachi music and Mexican food, such as tacos and moles poblano. It’s also common to get Mexican street food on this day and go to a folkloric ballet with whirling dancers wearing shiny ribbons, braids, and bright ruffled dresses. On this day, I ate three homemade tacos for dinner with avocado, guacamole, and salsa on top.

Greek Orthodox Easter was also celebrated on Sunday, May 5th, and a lot of people celebrate the occasion in different ways. On this day, it is popular to paint eggs, break fast, attend candlelit processions at church, eat lamb, and gather with family. My fiancé, Peter, is Greek Orthodox so he and his family celebrated Greek Orthodox Easter.

Mother’s Day is celebrated on Sunday, May 12th this year, and a lot of people celebrate the occasion in different ways. For example,  people like to cook breakfast for their moms, buy them flowers, shower them with small surprises, get together with the family, buy dinner for their mothers, and surprise them with a gift bag of a lot of presents. Flowers are one of the most popular Mother’s Day gifts. Jewelry, clothes, and beauty products are also terrific gift options for Mother’s Day. What a mom really wants on Mother’s Day is for her husband to tell her she is a wonderful mother. This Mother’s Day I am planning on putting a gift bag together with a lot of presents for my mother and other mothers that I’m friends with. I am also working at Citi Field on Mother’s Day weekend. Mother’s Day is a day to celebrate and honor all the mothers in the world. 

National Visit Relatives Day is celebrated on Saturday, May 18th, and a lot of people celebrate the occasion by seeing their families and giving them gifts to make them feel loved and appreciated. I am planning on visiting my grandparents Pop Pop and Maureen on this day after going to a play with my mom and a friend. 

World Baking Day is on Sunday, May 19th, and I plan on baking brownies on this day and enjoying them with family and friends. I also plan on dropping off baked goods for loved ones at their homes and visiting with them for a quick hello. May 19th is also the day of my annual performance at Dancing Dreams. This year’s performance is held at Queens College at 2pm. I would love for everyone to attend to see me perform with my fellow dance-mates.

Memorial Day is celebrated on Monday, May 27th. For many, it is a time to kick off summer with barbecues, open up the swimming pool, and enjoy the weather, but it is also a time to honor the men and women who died in service of the United States Armed Forces. 

Have a Happy May and a blessed Mother’s Day!

See you in June 2024!

With a lot of love always,

Fatima