Holidays in May 2027: USA Calendar & Key Dates

Holidays in May 2027 — Full USA Calendar & Free Printable PDF

Holidays in May 2027 in the United States include one federal holiday, Memorial Day, plus Mother’s Day, the Kentucky Derby, Cinco de Mayo and dozens of national days — download the free printable calendar below to plan the month.

May 2027 Holidays & National Days

Moon Phases for May 2027

Day	Date	Moon phase
6	May 6, 2027	New Moon
13	May 13, 2027	First Quarter
20	May 20, 2027	Full Moon
28	May 28, 2027	Last Quarter

May 2027 Holiday Highlights

Each date below lists the exact day of the week for 2027 and its official observance status. This selection prioritizes the highest-search-volume and most commercially advertised May dates, so you know which one closes federal offices and which ones drive the biggest spikes in shopping and search interest.

Kentucky Derby, May Day & Beltane — Saturday, May 1, 2027

The 153rd Kentucky Derby, one of the highest-search-volume and most heavily advertised dates of the month, runs Saturday, May 1, 2027 at Churchill Downs, opening the Triple Crown season. The same date is May Day, a spring folk tradition, and Beltane, a Gaelic seasonal festival. None carries federal or state holiday status.

Star Wars Day, National Teacher Day & Historical Anniversaries — Tuesday, May 4, 2027

“May the 4th,” Star Wars Day, falls on Tuesday, May 4, 2027, the same date as National Teacher Day, observed the Tuesday of Teacher Appreciation Week (May 3–7, 2027). May 4 also marks two 19th- and 20th-century American history anniversaries: the 1886 Haymarket Riot in Chicago and the 1970 Kent State shootings, both taught as pivotal moments in US labor and civil-unrest history. None is a public holiday.

Cinco de Mayo — Wednesday, May 5, 2027

Cinco de Mayo, Wednesday, May 5, 2027, commemorates the Mexican army’s 1862 victory at the Battle of Puebla and is widely celebrated in Mexican-American communities nationwide. It is a fixed calendar date every year and carries no federal or state holiday status in the US.

Ascension Day — Thursday, May 6, 2027

Ascension Day, Thursday, May 6, 2027, falls 39 days after Easter (March 28, 2027) in the Christian liturgical calendar, marking the ascension of Jesus into heaven. It is a religious observance with no federal or state holiday status.

Victory in Europe Day — Saturday, May 8, 2027

Victory in Europe (VE) Day, Saturday, May 8, 2027, marks the 1945 Allied victory over Nazi Germany. It is commemorated through ceremonies and educational programming but carries no federal holiday status in the US.

Mother’s Day — Sunday, May 9, 2027

Mother’s Day, the second Sunday of May, falls on Sunday, May 9, 2027 — one of the highest-search-volume and most heavily advertised dates of the entire month nationwide. It is not a federal or state holiday.

Mother’s Day (Mexico) — Monday, May 10, 2027

Mexico observes its own Mother’s Day on the fixed date of May 10 every year, falling on Monday, May 10, 2027 this year — one day after the US observance. It is widely marked in Mexican-American communities and carries no US holiday status.

Armed Forces Day, Peace Officers Memorial Day & Day of Arafah (Expected) — Saturday, May 15, 2027

Armed Forces Day, the third Saturday of May, falls on Saturday, May 15, 2027, honoring all branches of the US military. The same date is the fixed Peace Officers Memorial Day, part of National Police Week, and the expected Day of Arafah, the holiest day in Islam ahead of Eid al-Adha, pending moon sighting. None closes federal offices.

Eid al-Adha (Expected) & Pentecost — Sunday, May 16, 2027

Eid al-Adha, the Islamic Festival of Sacrifice marking the end of Hajj, is expected around Sunday, May 16, 2027, subject to confirmation by the Dhul Hijjah crescent moon sighting. The same date is Pentecost (Whit Sunday) in the Christian calendar, 49 days after Easter. Neither carries federal or state holiday status.

Whit Monday & Haitian Flag Day — Monday–Tuesday, May 17–18, 2027

Whit Monday, the day after Pentecost, falls on Monday, May 17, 2027. Haitian Flag Day, a fixed May 18 observance marking the 1803 creation of the Haitian flag, is widely celebrated in Haitian-American communities the following day. Neither is a US federal or state holiday.

Homestead Act Anniversary — Thursday, May 20, 2027

May 20 marks the anniversary of the 1862 Homestead Act, which granted public land to settlers across the American West. It is a historical anniversary observed through education, not a public holiday.

Preakness Stakes — Sunday, May 23, 2027

The Preakness Stakes, the second leg of the Triple Crown, moves to Sunday, May 23, 2027 this year — the first time in the race’s history that any Triple Crown event has been run on a Sunday. The Maryland Jockey Club shifted the race from its traditional third-Saturday slot to three weeks after the Kentucky Derby, aiming to attract more Derby horses to compete. It carries no public holiday status.

National Brother’s Day — Monday, May 24, 2027

National Brother’s Day, Monday, May 24, 2027, is an informal day celebrating brothers, mirroring National Siblings Day earlier in the spring. It has no official status.

National Burger Day — Friday, May 28, 2027

National Burger Day (also marked as National Hamburger Day in some calendars), Friday, May 28, 2027, is a fixed calendar date each year. It carries no official or legal status.

Memorial Day — Monday, May 31, 2027

Memorial Day, the last Monday of May, falls on Monday, May 31, 2027 — the only US federal holiday in May and one of the highest-search-volume, highest-advertiser-bid dates of the entire month. Federal offices, banks and financial markets close nationwide to honor military personnel who died in service. According to the [Office of Personnel Management](https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/federal-holidays/), it is one of 11 permanent federal holidays, and it traditionally marks the unofficial start of the US summer season.

Civic and Awareness Observances in May 2027

May 2027 also carries a dense calendar of civic and awareness days that draw steady search and advertiser interest without closing offices.

Free Comic Book Day and the National Day of Prayer both fall on the first Saturday and Thursday of the month respectively, alongside Military Spouse Appreciation Day on May 7, the Friday before Mother’s Day.

Teacher Appreciation Week runs May 3–7, and International Nurses Day follows on May 12.

Haitian Heritage Month and Jewish American Heritage Month both run throughout May, alongside Malcolm X‘s birthday on May 19 and World Bee Day on May 20. Alongside these, dozens of lighter national days — including National Pizza Party Day and National Wine Day — are popular on social media but hold no official or legal status.

Frequently Asked Questions about May 2027

Q: What is the only federal holiday in May 2027? A: Memorial Day, Monday, May 31, 2027, is the only US federal holiday in May. Federal offices, banks and financial markets close nationwide.

Q: When is the Kentucky Derby in 2027? A: The Kentucky Derby runs Saturday, May 1, 2027, at Churchill Downs.

Q: When is Mother’s Day in 2027? A: Mother’s Day falls on Sunday, May 9, 2027, the second Sunday of the month.

Q: Has the Preakness Stakes date changed for 2027? A: Yes. The Preakness Stakes moves to Sunday, May 23, 2027, three weeks after the Kentucky Derby — the first time any Triple Crown race has been held on a Sunday, breaking a tradition dating back to 1950.

Q: When is Eid al-Adha expected in 2027? A: Eid al-Adha is expected around Sunday, May 16, 2027, pending confirmation by moon sighting.

Q: Is May Day a federal holiday? No — May 1, 2027 is May Day and also the Kentucky Derby, but neither is an official US holiday.

Q: When is Cinco de Mayo? A: Cinco de Mayo falls on Wednesday, May 5, 2027, a fixed calendar date every year.

Q: How many business days are in May 2027? 20 business days — this total already accounts for the Memorial Day federal holiday and all weekends.

Plan the Rest of the Year

With Memorial Day as May’s only federal closure, the month is otherwise defined by its density of cultural and sporting dates — the Kentucky Derby, Mother’s Day, Cinco de Mayo and a historically rescheduled Preakness Stakes. For the full printable USA May 2027 calendar, including the monthly grid, holiday list and moon phases, see the May 2027 calendar page.