May 2009 
May 5, Tuesday, Children's Day (Kodomo No Hi) : Japan.
Formerly celebrated only for boys, this holiday now includes girls. Carp-shaped windsocks are attached to poles because the carp symbolizes perseverance and strength.
FOOD AND DRINK
Rice dumplings in bamboo leaves.
May 5, Tuesday, Children's Day (Tano) : South Korea.
On this day, which is free from work in Korea, boys wrestle and girls compete in swinging contests.
May 5, Tuesday, Cinco de Mayo (sinko-de-myo) : Mexico.
Mexicans and Mexican Americans celebrate the triumph of Mexican forces over the French in 1862. Although Mexico did not immediately become independent, this day marks the crucial step in freedom from foreign intervention. Typical celebrations are fiestas with mariachi bands, fireworks, and re-enactments of the battle. Mexican communities in Texas and other parts of the United States celebrate enthusiastically, seeing this day as a time to reaffirm their national identity. Festival decorations are often green, white, and red, the colors of the flag.
FOOD AND DRINK
In Texas and parts of the southwest, popular Mexican dishes such as salsa cruda, sopa de tortillas, quesadillas, and black beans comprise Cinco de Mayo menus. As at all Mexican festivals, tamales play a starring role.
May 9, Saturday, Visakaha (vye-sak-hah) Day : Buddhist.
This day, called Vishaka Buchea in Thailand, Vesak in Singapore, and Visakha Puja in Laos, celebrates Buddha's birth, enlightenment, and nirvana, which are all believed to have occurred on the full-moon day of the month. Making rockets and competing to see which will go the highest is a traditional festivity.
FOOD AND DRINK
In Laos and Cambodia, chicken is the favorite festive dish because it is expensive. Chicken stuffed with peanuts and ground pork is a typical dish. Soup is served at every meal, and although soup rarely includes meat, it does so on this day.
May 17, Sunday, Santo Christo Day : Portugal.
This week-long holiday begins on the fifth Sunday after Easter and celebrates the gift of a statue of Jesus to the Cathedral of Sâo Miguel in the Azores.
May 25, Monday, Memorial Day observed : United States.
This day commemorates those fallen in war, originally Union soldiers of the Civil War but now all soldiers from all wars. Parades often followed by barbecues are the usual celebration. The patriotic red, white, and blue colors of the United States flag are used in decorations.
FOOD AND DRINK
Meats such as steak, spareribs, pork chops, chicken, hot dogs, and hamburgers are popular items for Memorial Day barbecues. Accompaniments such as rolls, potato salad, coleslaw, and potato chips are common.
May 28, Thursday, Dragon Boat Festival (Tuan-wu) : China.
Dragon-prowed boats manned by teams from neighboring towns race in honor of Ch'u Yuan, a poet who drowned himself in 278 B.C. to protest injustice. Round heavy dumplings made from sweet glutinous rice and wrapped in leaves are the special treat for this day, although other popular Chinese foods, including tea, noodles, and main dishes of chicken and pork, are also part of the celebration.
May 29, Friday, Shavuoth (sha-voo-oat) (Festival of Weeks) : Jewish.
This holiday occurs seven weeks after Passover, its name meaning "weeks." It is also referred to as the Festival of the Torah because it commemorates God's gift to Moses of the Ten Commandments and the Torah. Another name is the Feast of the First Fruits because it is a springtime festival. This holiday begins at sundown on the previous day.
FOOD AND DRINK
Many Shavuoth dishes use dairy products because milk is at its most plentiful in late spring. In traditional agricultural societies, this is the time for making the excess supply of milk into cheese. Popular Shavuoth dishes include Cheese Blintzes, cheese knishes, creamy noodle dishes, and cheesecakes of many sorts. Among the Sephardic communities of southern Europe and the Middle East, bourekas—Turkish-style turnovers filled with cheese or vegetables—are popular.
May 31, Sunday, Pentecost (Whit Sunday) : Christian.
Among foods associated with Pentecost is Sopa do Espirito Santo, Holy Spirit Soup, a hearty mixture of meats, from the Azores. Azorean communities in Massachusetts retain the custom.