May is Mary's Month

For centuries, the Catholic Church has set aside the entire month of May to honor Mary, Mother of God. The idea of a month dedicated specifically to the Blessed Virgin Mary can be traced back to baroque times. Although it was not always held during May, “Mary Month” included 30 daily spiritual exercises honoring Mary. The transition to the month of May being “Mary’s Month” is rooted in customs that span both centuries and cultures, with roots going back as far as the Ancient Greeks.

In early Greece, May was dedicated to Artemis, the goddess of the hunt, the wilderness, wild animals, virginity and childbirth. 

In Ancient Rome, May was dedicated to Flora, the goddess of blooms, or blossoms. They celebrated ludi florals, or floral games, at the end of April and asked the intercession of Flora for all that blooms.

As Christianity spread through Europe and beyond, the ancient customs and traditions gave way to those that honored Our Lady. 

It was in the Middle Ages that the tradition of Tricesimum, or “Thirty-Day Devotion to Mary,” came into being. Also called, “Lady Month,” the event was held from August 15, the Feast of the Assumption, through September 14. 

In the 17th and 18th centuries it was the Jesuits who first combined Mary’s Month and May, making May the Month of Mary with special devotions organized on each day throughout the month. Through the 1700 and 1800s the practice spread throughout Italy, with archbishops recommending it and the Vatican establishing specific prayers in 1838.

In 1945 Pope Pius XII solidified May as a Marian month, establishing the Feast of the Queenship of Mary on May 31st.

Ways to Celebrate “Mary’s Month”

The ways to honor Mary in May are as diverse as the people who honor her. Some special ways Mary is honored during the month of May in both Catholic homes and parishes include:

• Praying the Rosary daily
• Learning and praying new Marian prayers
• Building a Mary Altar
• Creating a Mary garden
• May Crownings
• Wearing blue (clergy vestments on Marian feast days often include blue details)

The Traditional May Crowning

For many decades, the lovely words and melody of the hymn Bring Flowers of the Rarest have been sung during traditional May crowning ceremonies in parishes, schools and homes throughout the world. 

During the ceremony, a statue of Mary is placed in a prominent place and crowned, often times with a crown made of flowers. The crowning honors Mary as the Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, and the mother of  all.  The U.S. Bishops gave direct instruction for May crownings in 1987 writing, “The month of May is dedicated to the Queen of Heaven, as are all flowers. Early this month, a statue of the Virgin at church is crowned with a wreath of flowers, and flowers are laid at her feet.”  (Order of Crowning an Image of the Blessed Virgin Mary)