Kentucky Derby Day is upon us. The “Running of the Roses” or “The Run for the Roses”, as the Kentucky Derby is called, is America’s premier horse racing event. Steeped in tradition, the derby is the first step in the Triple Crown of horse racing. It is held at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. Each year approximately 155,000 people attend this all-day event, which culminates in a roughly two-minute race.

The Kentucky Derby runs on a 1 1/4 mile, 10-furlong, dirt track. The winner of the race receives a garland of roses and a $2 million purse. The winner has also reached the first step in winning the Triple Crown. The winning horse goes on to compete against other horses to hopefully win at the Preakness Stakes and finally at the Belmont Stakes.  

20 horses compete in the Kentucky Derby. Normally, far fewer horses race in any other horse racing event. To qualify for the Derby, the 3-year-old thoroughbred horses must travel the “Road to the Kentucky Derby”, a series of 35 horse races at tracks in the U.S. and around the world. Points are awarded and the top 20 horses proceed to the Kentucky Derby.

The race lasts about 2 minutes. All-day-long activities and celebrations precede the race. The excitement increases in intensity leading up to the opening of the gates, and the “Run for the Roses” begins.

Tradition abounds at the Kentucky Derby. People come dressed to the nines. Ladies wear extravagant hats and participate in a Hat Parade. Mint Juleps are the traditional drink and are consumed in huge quantities, approximately 120,000 during this two-day event.

Mint Juleps are the official drink of the Kentucky Derby. Use the Official Mint Julep recipe.

International Jazz Day is today. This May holiday celebrates Jazz music and history, as well as Jazz musicians. Jazz music was born in America in the 1800s. Over the years, it has become popular around the world. Everyone has their favorite style of music, and many say Jazz is tops. Some people have a type of music that they do not like.  But everyone likes and /or loves Jazz.  

The birthplace and home of Jazz music is New Orleans, La. Until you visit New Orleans and attend a real Jazz show in an authentic setting, you can’t fully appreciate the culture and beauty of this great style of music.

Enjoy International Jazz Day by sitting back and listening to your favorite Jazz tunes. Preferably, listen to them today as they are being played by a live jazz band.

Did You Know?  There is a second holiday with the same title.  An International Jazz Day was also created by the United Nations.

Iris Day, a May 8 holiday, celebrates these beautiful, showy, and attractive late spring bloomers. With or without a beard, these flowers are very popular among homeowners and gardeners. They come in just about every color in the rainbow except red. With a little luck, you have them blooming in your flower beds today.

Celebrate Iris Day by enjoying these great, easy-to-grow bloomers. If you don’t have any in your yard, get some and plant them today. You can also enjoy this day by going to a floral shop to buy some Iris to put into your favorite vase.

Today is also a great opportunity to learn more about how to grow and care for Iris. It’s really easy! Learn how to grow Iris

Did you Know? Iris flowers have spiritual importance in Japan. It wards off evil spirits. On Iris Day in Japan, people put Iris leaves in their baths. It’s believed to prevent illness. They also drink juice from the plant in their Sake to ensure longevity. Does it work? Try it and you be the judge!

International Museum Day is today. This May 18 holiday is a good opportunity to visit, appreciate, and support your local museum. Museums enrich our lives. They record history, human artifacts, and the treasures of the earth. Museums display and preserve a wealth of art of all kinds. They tell the story of mankind and its successes. 

The best museum in the United States is the Smithsonian. It is located in Washington, D.C. The Smithsonian is actually a collection of several themed, museums. There is so much to see and learn. It takes days to explore them.

The goals of International Museum Day are to allow museum professionals to meet the public and to make the public aware of the challenges faced by museums. Each year, a different theme is promoted.

The largest museum in the world is the Louvre in Paris, France. Established in 1792, the Louvre is located in the Louvre Palace and is 782,910 square feet. It is a historic monument. The Louvre is home to the Mona Lisa.

Little girls love to dress up as a princess. And, most ladies enjoy being treated as a queen. A tiara makes all girls, young and old, feel like royalty. So, every female will love International Tiara Day. This May 24 holiday exists to make dreams happen.

Ladies, do you know the feeling you get when you put a tiara on your head? It’s a great feeling. That’s right, you feel like royalty! A tiara transforms you into the queen, princess, or duchess hidden inside every woman or girl. If you do not come from nobility, you may never have had the chance to wear a tiara before today. Opportunities and events where a tiara is worn are few and far between.

International Tiara Day was created, so you can experience this joyous feeling. This is an annual holiday, so now you can wear a tiara at least once a year!

Tip for the Guys: Give a tiara to each of the girls in your life. The girls will be elated. And, so will you!

Let’s give three cheers to the tasty little legume with a long history, which enjoys worldwide popularity, and is packed with protein, fiber, and vitamins. Today is International Hummus Day! This May 13 holiday celebrates the love of hummus. According to this holiday’s creator, International Hummus Day is about “connecting people all over the world around hummus. It’s a special opportunity”.

Making hummus is simple. There are many recipes. Hummus goes well with a wide variety of foods and is good on crackers. Try hummus as a dip, with a stick of celery or carrots. In addition to Chickpeas as the main ingredient, other items that may be included are olive oil, sesame paste (called “tahini”), garlic, and a variety of vegetables. In recent years, manufacturers have become creative, with all sorts of flavors, including avocado, lemon artichoke, red pepper, smoky bacon, and taco to name a few.

 Make this a day to celebrate hummus and the garbanzo bean. We certainly will!!!

Did You Know? Kids and more than a few adults nickname chickpeas “Spider Eggs”. 

National Hoagie Day is today. This May 5 holiday gives us a special day to enjoy and celebrate a big, tasty hoagie. This big sandwich is known by several names: hoagie, sub, submarine, or a hero sandwich. Hoagies are a regular on most diets in America. People eat them for lunch, dinner, and even as a late-night snack. It’s a quick meal or people on the go.

The popularity of the Hoagie sub is partly due to the diversity and variety of its contents. It can be hot or cold, luncheon meat or meatballs, and contains your choice of a variety of cheeses. Then, the fun begins as you pile on any number and combinations of extras.

For the Record: According to the Guinness World Book of Records the largest hoagie sandwich was made in Lebanon on May 22, 2011. It measured 2,411 feet 5 inches long. 

According to the creators of Herb Day, this holiday is an international celebration of herbs and herbal products. That covers a whole lot of plants, applications, and products. The purpose of this day is to encourage us to learn more about them and their uses. Armed with this knowledge, there are a whole lot of things that you can do with them, much more than you ever imagined. So, let the celebration begin!

There are hundreds of varieties, which can be used in a seemingly unlimited number of uses. The first thing we should do on this day is to learn more about the different types that exist. The herb family consists of the following types: aromatic, cosmetic, culinary, ornamental, and medicinal plants.

After learning more about the different kinds of herbs, we should pick a couple and grow them. May is the perfect month for planting and growing. You can grow them in a herb garden or the flower garden. Many varieties are easy to grow in containers on your patio or deck. See more on growing herbs.

Today is a great day to use them as you cook. Try a recipe that uses a herb that you have never cooked with before. They are a great salt substitute, making for healthier meals.

Today is also a good time to select a few herbal products. You’ll have no shortage of items to choose from. You can choose from lavender soaps, cachets, dried flower arrangements, medicinal herbs, and much more.

However you choose to delve into the world of herbs today, we hope you have a very aromatic and tasteful Herb Day!!!

Gardens and gardening offer us a wealth of enjoyment and benefits. So much so, that C.L. Fornari, of Osterville, Ma. has declared the Month of May to be Gifts from the Garden Month.

While April is National Lawn and Garden Month, it is still cold and even snowy in many parts of the country. Fornari readily points out that May is a much nicer weather month, and most everyone in the country can participate in gardening in May. 

There are countless reasons to enjoy the hobby of gardening. Try it and see!

All about how gardening and how to grow, see: The Gardener’s Network