With all due respect to the played-out Justin Timberlake meme, it’s already May and we’ve got a calendar of social media holidays and observances that brands and businesses can use to contextualize their social media content. There are so many great social media holidays in May including Small Business Month, Military Appreciation Month and so much more. While social media holiday calendars are a dime a dozen, we’ve taken the liberty of adding context to each holiday this May and including helpful resources you can cite to make your posts really sing!
Monthly Social Media Observances in May
Small Business Month
This is a month to encourage your audience to support small businesses. As a small business, there are many different ways to celebrate this month including offering discounts, highlighting the employees that help make your business run, and genuinely showing a lot of appreciation to your most loyal customers. You can learn more about this month from the U.S. Chamber here. #SmallBusinessMonth
Mental Health Month
Mental Health is something we deal with all year but this is the month to draw attention to the issues people experience. There are a lot of options for businesses to commemorate this month including offering wellness tips, facts about mental health, and encouraging words for those who are struggling. This year’s theme is Where to Start: Mental Health in a Changing World and you can learn more here. #MentalHealthMonth
National Bicycle Safety Month
Biking becomes much more popular as the weather improves so you can use this month to encourage your audience to make safe decisions behind the handlebars. The National Safety Council has a great list of resources for remaining safe on a bike that you can find here. #BicycleSafetyMonth
Military Appreciation Month
Memorial Day is in May but the entire month is dedicated to celebrating the incredible sacrifice made by every member of our military. This is the month to share your appreciation for that sacrifice and to highlight individual members of your team who may have served in the military #MilitaryAppreciationMonth
National Allergy and Asthma Awareness Month
The sneezing and wheezing will be in full force this month so now is the time to showcase some of the products or services your business offers that can help alleviate the issues that arise with allergies and asthma. Another option is to share tips like this to help raise awareness for those suffering from allergies and asthma. #AsthmaAndAllergyRelief2024
National Pet Month
Vets and pet stores rejoice because you have a full month to celebrate your core value proposition. Share photos of pets all month and help raise awareness on ways that people can help keep their pets safe. You can also consider donating to pet-related charities from this list. #PetMonth
May 2024 Social Media Holidays
*Editor’s Note: For the sake of all of us, please do not post this Justin Timberlake meme at the start of May. We ALL GET it. It’s like the Furby of internet memes now–it’s over.
MAY 01
National Loyalty Day
Reward your most loyal customers by featuring them on social media and giving them some sort of discount or free item! #NationalLoyaltyDay
May Day
May Day is a national unity day celebrated all over the world. In the United States, May Day serves as a celebration of spring! #MayDay2024
MAY 02
National Brothers and Sisters Day
Put the sibling rivalry aside and celebrate the love between siblings on this day. Businesses can use this day to share photos of any brothers and sisters you may have on your team. #BrothersandSistersDay
National Life Insurance Day
Context is not always easy to find when you’re selling life insurance but National Life Insurance Day is tailor-made for content like this about why a person should have life insurance. #LifeInsuranceDay
MAY 03
National Space Day
National Space Day was created to celebrate the things that inspire us. Consider sharing content from your team about what inspires you to forge new frontiers within your industry! #NationalSpaceDay
MAY 04
May The 4th Be With You
This is basically Star Wars day so consider changing some of your social media profile designs to reflect Star Wars. Toss a lightsaber in your profile pic, put a death star on your cover photo, and celebrate a franchise that’s beloved the world over! #MayThe4thBeWithYou
MAY 05
Cinco De Mayo
Let the fiesta begin by offering discounts on margaritas, Mexican food, and more! Most people know this day as a celebration but you can also share these facts about the history of the day! #CincoDeMayo
MAY 06
National Beverage Day
Hoist up a few tasty beverages by offering discounts on all of the beverages on your menu. Restaurants can also consider offering a free beverage with the purchase of an entree on this day. #NationalBeverageDay
National Nurses Day
Nurses play an essential role at any health facility and today is the day to give them their due! Feature your nurses and show your appreciation on social media today. #NationalNursesDay
MAY 07
National Teacher’s Day
Teachers are true heroes and today is the day to extol their many virtues while helping to celebrate the immeasurable impact they have in the classroom. There’s some great information you can use for inspiration here. #TeachersDay
National Tourism Day
Traveling breeds excitement that can be utilized to great effect on social media. If you run an attraction or work for a city that attracts tourists then you should use this day to pitch tourists on why they should pay you a visit! #TourismDay
MAY 08
Receptionist Day
Receptionists are the first person people see when they enter your business so use this day to give them their due on social media! #ReceptionistDay
MAY 09
National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day
According to the CDC, one in six children aged 2-8 has a mental disorder of some kind. This is a day to raise awareness so consider sharing facts about children’s mental health warning signs like this one from Mayo Clinic. #NCMHAD
MAY 10
National Shrimp Day
We manage digital marketing for a phenomenally successful seafood restaurant called Shrimp Shack and this is a pretty big day for us. Here’s an example of a post that we’ve used to commemorate National Shrimp Day. #NationalShrimp Day
MAY 11
National Technology Day
Have you created a technological innovation or utilized cutting-edge tech that has revolutionized your industry? Show it off on social media today! #NationalTechnologyDay
MAY 12
Mother’s Day
A celebration of the true heroes that deserve to be revered every day of the year. We recommend offering discounts and promotions while sharing something personal about the majesty of the mom. Here is an example of a Mother’s Day post we did for our client Ocean State Heating & Air. #MothersDay
MAY 13
National Women’s Checkup Day
Falling the day after Mother’s Day, this day is used to encourage women to get a checkup to make sure they’re as healthy as can be. Here is a good article about the benefits of regular health checkups for women you can share! #WomensCheckupDay
MAY 14
Spinal Cord Injury Awareness Day
Spinal Cord injuries have an impact on every facet of a person’s life and this day was created to raise awareness of the trials endured by those with these injuries. Green ribbons are often used to commemorate this day and brands can get more info on this day here. #SCIAD
MAY 15
International Family Day
Family always comes first and brands can use this day to demonstrate their commitment to providing products or services that benefit families. In the past, we’ve found success for our own clients by sharing photos of the family members who work together at our clients’ businesses. #InternationalFamilyDay
World Chocolate Chip Day
Is the chocolate chip the most beloved addition to the cookie? Sure, some stan for the sugar, others prefer peanut butter, and the crazies say OMG about oatmeal, but it’s the chocolate chip that will always reign supreme. Share some of your recipes and feature your menu items that feature the chocolate chip today! #ChocolateChipDay
MAY 16
National BBQ Day
BBQ doesn’t just hit the spot, it pummels it with delicious flavor! Share some of your best BBQ meals on this day and consider taking your audience behind the scenes of how you prepare your dishes! #BBQDay
MAY 17
World Hypertension Day
Stress is something that affects many people and elevated levels can lead to hypertension. Your intrepid writer has felt his blood pressure rise several times while trying to reach the deadline to complete this calendar and found this list of ways to reduce hypertension to be particularly effective. #WorldHypertensionDay
MAY 18
World Whiskey Day
How many whiskey days ARE THERE? Well, this time the world gets its turn to celebrate the spirit that has inspired so many great melancholic Irish poems. Cheers! #WorldWhiskeyDay
MAY 19
World Baking Day
Baking something fresh in the kitchen of your restaurant? Show it off on social media and consider sharing recipes or tips on how to become the best baker you can be! #WorldBakingDay
MAY 20
Flower Day
This is where your social media feed really blossoms into something bright and flowery. Florists can offer discounts on their best bouquets today! #FlowerDay
MAY 21
International Tea Day
It’s tea time on social media, baby! Show off your stock of teas and if you really want to be cheeky and colloquial, ignore the Earl Greys of the world and share some inside info to really “spill the tea.” The audience that isn’t anglophiles will appreciate it! #InternationalTeaDay
World Meditation Day
Meditation breeds serenity and has a direct impact on mental health. If your business is in the wellness space then consider sharing this list of benefits of meditation that your audience will find useful! #WorldMeditationDay
MAY 22
National Boss Babe Day
Boss babes are fierce in the face of sometimes insurmountable odds and deserve to be recognized, celebrated, and championed today and every day. Empower your fellow boss babes by sharing your experience, a personal story, or something that will inspire! #BossBabes
MAY 23
Chardonnay Day
While some celebrate this day more often than just May 23rd (hi mom, miss you), today is the day to share some of your best chardonnays on social media. If you really want to go down the vine, consider sharing this history of chardonnay because nothing says you can’t learn when going full Tammy Taylor on Friday Night Lights. #ChardonnaryDay
MAY 24
National Brother’s Day
Do you have brothers that work on your team? Post a photo of them on social media today and write about what they mean to your business! #NationalBrothersDay
MAY 25
National Wine Day
Well, we are really getting after the grape this week, huh? Make sure you post discounts on your wine selection this week and consider asking your audience questions about their favorite wines. As we’ve already established, a good glass of wine goes down even better with a little reading material so here’s a history of wine to pair with the history of chardonnay we shared on May 23rd. #NationalWineDay
World Thyroid Day
This day was started to educate the public on various thyroid disorders. You can help inform your audience by sharing this information about how to prevent thyroid disorders. #WorldThyroidDay
MAY 26
National Cherry Dessert Day
Got a cherry dessert on your menu? You know what to do! #CherryDessertDay
MAY 27
Memorial Day
This is a day of somber reflection to express appreciation for those who made the ultimate sacrifice in service of our country. Be careful here–Memorial Day sales are tacky and your tone should be reverent and respectful. #MemorialDay
MAY 28
National Burger Day
Mmmm, that IS a tasty burger! Show off your tastiest burgers and offer discounts and promotions on social media today. #NationalBurgerDay
MAY 29
National Senior Health and Fitness Day
It’s essential that seniors remain active and this day should be used to share the health benefits of exercise for seniors. Here’s a great resource you can use to post to your feed! #SeniorHealthandFitnessDay
National Biscuit Day
Have a ball posting about biscuits and don’t take your sweet little time about it today. Few things inspire more fervor than a delicious biscuit so make yours shine on social media. #NationalBiscuitDay
MAY 30
World MS Day
Multiple sclerosis is a debilitating disease that is still a relative mystery as to what causes it. If you work in the medical field, consider sharing this list of facts about MS. #WorldMSDay
MAY 31
National Heat Awareness Day
This is a day we typically post about for our HVAC client. It’s a great opportunity to share facts about how to recognize when the heat has reached dangerous levels. #NationalHeatAwarenessDay
About the Author
Jack DeYoung
As Digital Director, Jack is responsible for developing and executing engaging digital and social media campaigns. With experience at two successful startups and in the advertising industry, Jack’s background makes him uniquely qualified to tell our clients’ stories.