Mary Queen of the May

May is an important month in the Catholic faith, as it is a time when many devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary are made. It isn't uncommon for the Virgin Mary to be recognized as the "Queen of the May" during this month. Devotions to the Virgin Mary are also known as Marian devotions.

It is common for Roman Catholics to take part in "crowning" ceremonies throughout May. During these ceremonies, flower crowns are placed on statues of Mary.

Here are the lyrics to the song or hymn "Bring Flowers of the Rarest: Queen of the May" and an example of a crowning ceremony.

Mary Queen of the May

Bring flowers of the fairest
Bring flowers of the rarest
From garden and woodland
And hillside and vale
Our full hearts are swelling
Our Glad voices telling
The praise of the loveliest
Rose of the vale
O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May
O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May
Our voices ascending,
In harmony blending
Oh! Thus may our hearts turn
Dear Mother, to thee
Oh! Thus shall we prove thee
How truly we love thee
How dark without Mary
Life's journey would be
O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May
O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May
O Virgin most tender
Our homage we render
Thy love and protection
Sweet Mother, to win
In danger defend us
In sorrow befriend us
And shield our hearts
From contagion and sin
O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May
O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May
Of Mothers the dearest
Oh, wilt thou be nearest
When life with temptation
Is darkly replete
Forsake us, O never
Our hearts be they ever
As Pure as the lilies
We lay at thy feet
O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May
O Mary! we crown thee with blossoms today
Queen of the Angels, Queen of the May

  On April 29, 1965, Pope Paul VI wrote in his encyclical that May was a time to present special devotions to Mary. 

The site: Salve Maria Regina has information on hymns and devotions for those who want to pay special devotion to Mary, Queen of Heaven, during May.

'Tis the Month of Our Mother
'Tis the month of our Mother,
The blessed and beautiful days,
When our lips and our spirits
Are glowing with love
and with praise.
CHORUS: All hail to dear Mary,
The Guardian of our way.
To the fairest of all Queens
Be the fairest of seasons, sweet May.
Oh what peace to Her children
'Mid sorrows and trials to know,
That the love of their Mother
Hath ever a solace for woe.

UDayont has a wonderful resource for those looking for ways to honor Mary titled "May, Mary's Month, Marian Coronation."

May Flower is Lily of the Valley

The flower for May is the Lily of the Valley. Delicate in appearance, the Lily of the Valley consists of white, bell-shaped flowers that droop down off a solitary stalk. Though it has a sweet fragrance, the Lily of the Valley is highly poisonous and toxic to most pets such as dogs, cats and horses. The scientific name for Lily of the Valley is Convallaria majalis. Because Lily of the Valley is toxic, it isn't the best plant to give during the month of May. It is a perfect addition though to decorative gifts that you'd like to present throughout the month.

Vintage picture: Lily of the Valley and Doves

As a ground cover, Lily of the Valley can become aggressive and even invasive. Again, those who choose to plant Lily of the Valley must understand that it is poisonous and take that into account.Still, the flowers are beautiful and their sweet fragrance are often the floral note for many perfumes and fragrances. Painted lily of the valleys are a beautiful addition to many hand-crafted items and you'll find a plethora of gifts that feature this delicate and sweet yet poisonous flower.  

You may see a realistic photo of lily of the valley in my Amazon affiliate link below. Here are some of my favorite products on Amazon featuring lily of the valley. The counted cross-stitch pattern is from a vintage illustration by Cicely Mary Barker, who illustrated the "Flower Fairies." The counted cross-stitch pattern is for "The Lily of the Valley Fairy." 

What do you think about lily of the valley? Though it is beautiful and fragrant, would you risk your pets safety by planting the dainty, white blooms?

May's Birthstone is Emerald

May's birthstone is the emerald and once you understand the symbolism behind the month of May, it's easy to see why. May was named for the Greek goddess Maia, who symbolized rebirth. It was also believed Maia was responsible for new growth, such as spring's green grass or new buds on a tree. The emerald is also symbolic of rebirth and new life, with it's deep, green hue. The symbolism behind emeralds is so great, it's also believed to possess qualities that help strengthen and enhance love. The ancient Romans used to offer emeralds to the goddess Venus as she was the goddess of love.

The word emerald is derived from the Greek word "smaragdus" which means "green." When grading gemstones like the beautiful emerald, we use what's referred to as the four c's. These include cut, clarity, color and crystal or transparency. Traces of chromium and vanadium are what gives the emerald its deep, green hue, but there are other color variations possible. Sometimes, natural emeralds may have more bluish or yellowish tones due to their mineral content.

Emeralds are found worldwide, but Colombia is known for their extensive emerald mining. Many emeralds comes from Colombia. Between 50-95% of all emerald mining and production is from Colombian mines. The largest emerald mines in Colombia are located in Coscuez, Muzo and Chivor. Other popular mining locations include Canada, Norway, the United States, Brazil South Africa, China and Australia. It is believed that Cleopatra wore emeralds and the earliest records of emerald mining date back to 330 B.C. in ancient Egypt.

A high-quality emerald is certified and will possess a deep green, translucent color without any visible signs of cloudiness or breakage. On the color scale, high-quality emeralds will have a score of 75.

Today, emeralds are renown for their beauty. They have a hardness on the Mohs scale between 7.5 and 8. This makes them perfect for ornamental

Emerald Engagement Ring: Photo credit Amazon

work in jewelry and emeralds are also a popular engagement stone. You can see an example of an emerald style engagement ring in the photo to the right.

Those who would like to learn more about emeralds and how to choose them as well as tell certified emeralds from synthetic can watch the video below.


If you would like to see more about emerald engagement rings, you may visit my Amazon affiliate link below. This is the link for the photo above.

Drape yourself in the beauty of Dahlia's Hand-Painted Wool Scarves

I love to find beautiful, feminine things and with Mother's Day celebrated in May, along with spring's push into summer, I find these hand-painted wool scarves are simply luxurious and gorgeous.

These are perfect for chilly evenings or when you just want to add a touch of glamour to your outfit and the hand-painted features are simply exquisite. The colors are perfect for spring and are soft and feminine. If you're looking for the perfect Mother's Day gift this May, or want to treat yourself to something fabulous, then I recommend these gorgeous, hand-painted wool scarves from Dahlia's.

I should mention that I'm also fond of these scarves because their price is simply unbelievable. They are on sale from Amazon, and I'm including my affiliate link as well.

I'm sure you'll agree that these scarves are absolutely splendid!

Dahlia's Hand-Painted Wool Scarves

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May and the Greek Goddess Maia

May is named after the Greek Goddess Maia, who was the mother of Hermes. She was also a fertility goddess and is associated with spring, new life and of course, fertility. She was believed to have a heart that was gentle and pure through her goodness, caused flowers to bloom in springtime. According to the book Goddess Inspiration Oracle,  The name "Maia" means "The Maker." Maia was identified with the Roman goddess Bona Dea who was also a fertility goddess. The festival for Bona Dea was held in the month of May.

"The name of Maia, the Greek goddess of spring and rebirth, means "the maker." Every spring this goddess is believed to make the grass and flowers grow again. She is also praised as the grandmother of magic because her son, the god Hermes, discovered that mysterious art.

Mai by Alphonse Mucha

"Shy Maia was said to live alone in a cave on Mount Cyllene in Arcadia. Though she led a humble life, she did not escape notice: the god Zeus observed Maia's extraordinary beauty and came to her one night. From this nocturnal encounter, Maia conceived Hermes. As soon as he was born, Maia immediately knew her son was a genius. While still a baby, Hermes created the fist lyre by stretching strings across a tortoise shell and the first panpipe from marsh reeds. Besides being the first magician, Hermes is credited with the invention of medicine, astrology and letters."

Though May is associated with spring in the northern hemisphere, it falls during the autumn season for those living in the southern hemisphere.

Mai was the eldest daughter of Atlas and Pleione and with her sisters were referred to as "The Pleiades."


You may see a video documentary that discusses Greek gods and goddesses, including Maia below.