🌷May 1🌷

💐May Flowers💐

100

These flowering woody plants are in the olive family, known for producing fragrant purple blooms which are often the same color as their name!

Lilac

Although the species stands for renewal and confidence overall, each color of lilac has its own specific meaning. White lilacs represent purity and innocence, while purple lilacs symbolize spirituality. If the blooms edge more on the blue side of the color wheel, they symbolize happiness and tranquility. Magenta lilacs symbolize love and passion. The yellow variety of lilacs, 'Primrose', is not a common sight in American gardens, and was only introduced in 1949, so it's not known to carry any symbolic meaning.

200

These small colorful flowers are also sometimes called violas or violets, known for how quickly they come up as soon as the weather gets warm. 

Pansies

The English term ‘pansy’ is derived from the French pensée, meaning ‘thought’. The flowers are often associated with virtuous humility and tender, playful or fleeting love. In Victorian England, lovers communicated their ‘thoughts’ of love by sending a bundle of herbs wrapped around a small bouquet of wild flowers; at its heart was a pansy. These small posies were a way of expressing love; the single pansy conveyed the message, ‘I am thinking of you.’ 

300

These woodland flowering plants are sweetly scented with small pendent, bell-shaped white flowers.

Lily of the Valley 

A symbol of purity, joy, love, sincerity, happiness and luck, lily of the valley has much significance beyond the United Kingdom. It's actually the national flower of Finland, and in France, on 1st May for La Fête du Muguet, lily of the valleys are gifted to loved ones. 

400

These flowers are sometimes referred to as cranesbills, found in many different temperate regions in variations of annuals, biennials and perennials.

Geraniums

Scented geraniums release a fragrance when their leaves are touched. The most popular scented geranium is often sold as a mosquito plant, as its leaves release a lemon or citronella scent. Research doesn’t support the claims that it will repel mosquitoes, but it is an attractive and fragrant plant for summer gardens. The geranium flower’s message depends on the situation. As a housewarming gift it may represent friendship or wishes for good health. While its meaning is sometimes contradictory, most Americans view the geranium flower as a symbol of happiness and positive emotions. These flowers are ideal for adding color and scent to window boxes, hanging baskets and container gardens. They are often presented  at special occasions such as promotions and retirements. 

500

This Asian flowering plant belongs to the Poppy family, valued for it's signature shape and often cultivated in small fairy gardens.

Bleeding Heart

For some, Bleeding Hearts symbolize sorrow and lost love. For others, it is a symbol of beauty and positive energy. Bloom colors are often associated with positive energy, love, friendship, and warmth at home. There is a dark side to this beauty: the flowers are poisonous. All parts of the plant are poisonous if ingested. Even so, Bleeding Hearts received the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit.

🐝Buzzing Bees🐝

100

What do bees get from flowers that they use to make honey?

Nectar

Honey starts as flower nectar collected by bees, which gets broken down into simple sugars stored inside the honeycomb. The design of the honeycomb and constant fanning of the bees' wings causes evaporation, creating sweet liquid honey. Honey's color and flavor vary based on the nectar collected by the bees.

 

200

True or False: Bees have 2 eyes. 

False, they have 5 eyes!

The two eyes on the sides of the head help a bee detect objects from different angles. However, the most interesting thing about bees having five eyes is that the top three in the middle of the head help the bee see differently. The bee’s middle eyes are there to help detect UV markers from the flowers. These help them land safely and get the nectar they need. 

300

What do bees carry on their legs, transferring it from flower to flower to fertilize them?

a. Seeds

b. Pollen

c. Petals

d. Nectar

b. Pollen

To collect and transport pollen, honey bees mix pollen particles with regurgitated nectar and form the mixture into pellets, which cling their hind legs. The honey bees then deposit the pellets into a cell within the hive by carefully scraping them off using their other legs. 

400

What do honey bees do to share information about the best food source locations? 

Hint: It's something you would do at a disco.

Dance! 

Honey bees are also brilliant boogiers! To share information about the best food sources, they perform their ‘waggle dance’. When the worker returns to the hive, it moves in a figure-of-eight and waggles its body to indicate the direction of the food source. 

500

What is the role of each type of bee in the hive? 

1. Queen

2. Worker

3. Drone

1. The Queen Bee's function in the hive is one of production. She is normally the only reproductive female in the colony. At the height of her productivity, the queen could lay as many as 2000 eggs each day. 

2.  Worker bees form honeycombs, forage for nectar and pollen (later turning it into honey), tend to the larvae and queen's needs, remove debris and defend the hive. Workers are the smallest of the bee castes, but are by far the most numerous. All workers are female, and normally incapable of reproduction. 

3. Drones are the male honey bees. The only function of a drone is to fertilize a young queen bee. They are visibly larger and stouter than workers.

🌼Month of May🌼

100

What are some of the commonly celebrated holidays in May? 

May Day, Cinco De Mayo, Ramadan, Mother's Day, Armed Forces Day, Victoria Day and Memorial Day are some of the commonly celebrated holidays. Less commonly known holidays in May are Brother & Sisters Day, Kentucky Derby Day, Star Wars Day, National Nurses Day, Lucky Penny Day and Water a Flower Day! May is also Mental Health Awareness Month and Military Appreciation Month. 

200

True or False: The month of May takes place in Spring all around the world.

False! 

May is an Autumn month in countries like Australia, New Zealand and South Africa. Parts of South America, Africa and some islands in Asia are also in the Southern Hemisphere. Some places like Singapore and countries in Centra Africa and Southeast Asia experience little to no seasonal variation, often with only two seasons: wet and dry.

300

What deep green gemstone is the May birthstone? 

a. Peridot

b. Jade

c. Emerald

d. Zircon

c. Emerald

Emerald, the birthstone for May, has been beloved for millennia, evoking rebirth and renewal. Widely regarded as the definition of green, emerald is the perfect color for spring. From the poetic description of Ireland as “the Emerald Isle” to the vibrant green of the famed gemstone itself—the May birthstone emerald has captured hearts and minds through the ages. Variations of this rich green color suggest soothing, lush gardens. Legend has it that emerald has the power to make its wearer more intelligent and quick-witted, and it was once believed to cure diseases like cholera and malaria. Today, it's the gemstone given for the 20th and 35th wedding anniversaries.

 

400

What two zodiacs fall in the month of May? 

Hint: They start with A and T. 

Aries and Taurus

At their core, Aries do things their own way. They are unafraid of conflict, highly competitive, and honest. They throw themselves at the world eagerly and without fear. Aries are driven by a desire to prove themselves and their strength. They have high energy, and are competitive and ambitious. They naturally take charge because they are good at initiating new projects. They can also be impatient, but are naturally active and don't like to waste time. Tauruses on the other hand are the human equivalent of moss. They are normally satisfied with the way things are and embody stability. Tauruses are oriented around the physical world. They tend to be grounded and logical. They love routine and they’re committed to their own comfort. They like to be in control. They’re patient and steady, and their materialism is an extension of their pursuit of stability. They are graceful and diligent laborers. They can be stubborn, bull-headed, and set in their ways, but they are also great listeners and very dependable.

500

It's said April showers bring May flowers, what kind of flowers bloom in May?

Bonus: What is the May birth flowers, starting with L and H? 

Some flowers that bloom in May are peonies, geraniums, columbine, irises, bleeding hearts, delphiniums, tulips, alliums, daisies, forget-me-nots and primrose.

Historians believe this phrase may date back to a 1610 poem, which contained the lines "Sweet April showers, do spring May flowers." A longer phrase, "March winds and April showers bring forth May flowers," has also been traced back to 1886. The reference to April showers likely originated in the United Kingdom or Ireland, where the month of April tends to be especially rainy because of the position of the jet stream. The cooler climate in these areas also tends to push back the appearance of many flower species to late April and early May.

🌿Herbaceous Herbs🌿

100

While coriander is one name for this herb, what is it's more common name in the United States? 

Cilantro! 

While cilantro is a tasty herb to most, some people find it absolutely revolting, including, famously, the chef Julia Child. Of course some of this dislike may come down to simple preference, but for those cilantro-haters for whom the plant tastes like soap, the issue is genetic. These people have a variation in a group of olfactory-receptor genes that allows them to strongly perceive the soapy-flavored aldehydes in cilantro leaves. This genetic quirk is usually only found in a small percent of the population, though it varies geographically.

200

True or False: Herbs can be used in different ways such as culinary, medicinal, sacred and those used for pest control. 

True! 

Culinary herbs are mostly from the leaves from plants and used for providing flavor in cooking. Examples include thyme, lavender, coriander leaves, mint, parsley, basil etc. Medicinal effect of herbs has been documented in many old scriptures. Examples include mint, herbal extracts used to treat depression ands stress (St John’s wort and Kava), "shilajit" is used for diabetes, and various Chinese herbs are also used for health purposes. Examples of sacred herbs include "tulsi", which is a form of basil, neem, sage and cedar used by different cultures all over the world. Gardeners use herbs such as mint, spearmint, peppermint and other for pest control. The use of these herbs keeps lice, ants, fleas, moth and ticks away.

300

Which of the following is not an herb? 

a. Basil 

b. Cinnamon

c. Oregano

d. Cilantro

b. Cinnamon 

While herbs are usually the leafy parts for plants and can be sweet or savoury in flavour, spices are seasonings obtained from parts of a plant such as fruits and seed, bark, dried buds, stigma, roots and rhizomes and resin used in food for flavour, color or as preservatives. Spices are used to flavor and color food and often also used as remedies for some ailments. 

400

What 4 herbs are referenced in the Simon and Garfunkel song "Scarborough Fair"? 

Parsley, Sage, Rosemary and Thyme!

During the Middle Ages, the town of Scarborough in Yorkshire, England, featured an annual fair that attracted merchants from all over the country as well as the continent. An array of fabrics, dyes, skins, pots and foods vied for customers’ attention. And then there were the herbs. There would have been a large assortment, but surely parsley, sage, rosemary and thyme would have been among them. After all, Simon and Garfunkel told us so, in the lyrics of Scarborough Fair, the memorable ballad featured on the soundtrack of the movie The Graduate.

500

What herbs and spices are typically used in these countries' seasonings?

1. Italy

2. Mexico 

3. India

4. France

1. Basil, oregano, rosemary, thyme and marjoram.

2. Chili powder, paprika, cumin, oregano, garlic powder and onion powder.

3. Curry powder, cumin, turmeric, coriander, ginger, cardamom and cinnamon.

4. Parsley, chives, tarragon and chervil.

☀️May Day☀️

100

What day is May Day celebrated on? 

May 1st 

May Day, day commemorating the historic struggles and gains made by workers and the labour movement, observed in many countries on May 1. In Europe May 1 was historically associated with rural pagan festivals, but the original meaning of the day was gradually replaced by the modern association with the labour movement. In the Soviet Union, leaders embraced the new holiday, believing it would encourage workers in Europe and the United States to unite against capitalism. 

200

True or False: May Day is celebrated as Lei Day in Hawaii. 

True! 

The first Lei Day was celebrated on May 1, 1927 with a few people wearing lei in downtown Honolulu. Over time, more and more people began to wear lei on May 1, and thus began the tradition of “May Day is Lei Day in Hawai'i.” The first lei Queen, Miss Nina Bowman, was crowned by Honolulu Mayor Charles Arnold in 1928. A lei is a common symbol of love, friendship, celebration, honor or greeting. In essence, it is a symbol of Aloha. In ancient Hawaii, wearing a lei represented wealth, royalty and rank. It is also associated with hula, religion and geography.

300

May Day festivities are traditionally linked to the celebration of what?

a. Fun and Folly

b. Rebirth

c. Fertility

d. Death

c. Fertility

The May Day celebration is believed to date back to the Roman era, with festivals worldwide taking place to promote fertility and new life. In medieval times the celebrations would regularly centre round a village green where dancing would ensue. A May King and Queen who would be crowned and they would be dressed in green to symbolise fertility. 

400

What do young children dance around while holding brightly colored ribbons on May Day?

The Maypole!

A maypole may be raised on the celebration day of May 1st or it may be kept up all year long. The maypole may be painted with different colors, or it can be decorated with greenery and flowers in preparation for the celebratory dance around the maypole. The meaning of the maypole dance is to celebrate the spring and the upcoming summer seasons. It is also a celebration of nature and fertility.

500

The traditional, pagan observance of May Day is founded in it occurring almost directly between which two astronomical events?

The Spring Equinox and Summer Solstice

The astronomical foundation of May Day lies in it falling almost midway between the vernal equinox (usually 20 March) and the summer solstice (usually 21 June) in the Northern Hemisphere, the part of the world where May Day festivals are often relegated to.