Month of the Year: May Trivia Quiz

Answer: an attempted military coup in the US

Bailey and Knebel's novel imagines a military attempt to seize political power in the United States. It led the New York Times bestseller list in 1962. Burt Lancaster, Kirk Douglas, Fredric March, and Ava Gardner starred in the 1964 screenplay written by Rod Serling. Military officers regarded the president's agreement to a disarmament treaty with the Soviet Union as treason and acted to seize the national government.

Answer: the addition of sweet woodruff

To produce May wine, German white wine is infused with sweet woodruff (Galium odoratum, sometimes called Asperula odorata). This herb is found wild in the forests of Germany. It is called, variously, Maitrank and Maiwein. May wine is traditionally served in the spring and always on the first of May.

A punch may be made of May wine by the addition of brandy, champagne, sugar syrup, and fresh strawberries. This punch is called Maibowle. Emily Dickinson's poem "The May Wine" (1861) is not about May wine at all; when she wrote "I taste a liquor never brewed" the reference was to the intoxicating nature of life without the help of alcohol.

Answer: Jewish American Heritage Month

The Congress of the United States adopted May as Jewish American Heritage Month in February of 2006. President George W. Bush proclaimed this May observance in April of 2006. This was the result of advocacy by Sen. Arlen Specter (R-PA), the Jewish Museum of Florida, and the South Florida Jewish Community.

The purpose of the month is to identify and celebrate the contributions which Jewish Americans have made to the American nation and culture for over 350 years. The Library of Congress and the National Museum of American Jewish History in Philadelphia are major contributors to the observance. According to the The Jewish American Heritage Month Coalition states that, "Jewish American Heritage Month also enables the exploration of the meaning of religious pluralism, cultural diversity, and participation in American civic culture."

Answer: Estonian, French, Romanian, Welsh

Since about the 12th century, the fifth month of the year has been called May. The name of the month entered English from the Old French "Mai" which descended from the Latin "Maius mensus" meaning the month of May. Some form of May Day has been kept in Europe on May first since the 13th century.

In the Northern Hemisphere, May begins the season of fruits and flowers, and was observed by crowning the "Queen of Maij" with flowers on this day.

Answer: emerald

In addition to being the traditional birthstone for the month of May, the emerald is a traditional gift for 20th and 35th wedding anniversaries. Legends about this sparkling green stone abound. It was once held to be a cure for malaria and cholera. It was reputed to make the person who wore it wiser and more able to compose a witty response.

Another myth held that, if placed beneath the tongue, it allowed one to predict future events. The word emerald entered Middle English from the Old French "esmeraude" which was derived from the Medieval Latin "esmaraldus" descended from the Latin "smaragdus" which evolved from the Ancient Greek "smaragdos" meaning a shiny green gem.

The Greek may derive from a Hebrew word "bareqeth" meaning shining and/or an Arabic word "barq" meaning lightning.

The word emerald is colloquially synonymous with the colour green, hence Ireland is the Emerald Isle and Seattle is the Emerald City.

Answer: Scotland

The Isle of May is a small island near the Firth of Forth in Scotland. It is, at present, unoccupied although it was the site of a monastery founded in the Middle Ages (now a national monument). It was named to honour Saint Adrian of May who was martyred by the Vikings in 875.

The island is administered by NatureScot. There is a tiny cottage at which visitors may stay in the bird sanctuary for up to a week. Even this opportunity is closed from 1 October until Easter to allow fuzzy grey seal pups to mature without being disturbed.

The origin of the name is uncertain but may derive from an Old Norse word meaning island of seagulls, as there are plenty of those in evidence.

Answer: an older man and a younger woman

The premise of the BBC TV programme is that an older man (a solicitor named Alec Callender, played by Anton Rodgers) and a younger woman (Zoë Angell, played first by Eve Matheson and then by Lesley Dunlop) fall into an improbable relationship. The show ran six years; Ms. Matheson was replaced by Ms. Dunlop for the last four seasons.

The programme took its title from the pop standard "September Song" the lyrics of which say "Oh, it's a long, long while from May to December / But the days grow short when you reach September / When the autumn weather turns the leaves to flame / One hasn't got time for the waiting game." In keeping with this adaptation, the title of each episode is adapted from a musical or some other piece of popular music.

Answer: mental health

May is National Mental Health Month in the US. President Biden signed a proclamation to this effect on 30 April 2021. Thirty four states have previously made the same designation. The month is devoted to heightening public awareness of the scope of the mental health problem, of suicide prevention, of drug and alcohol addiction, and in the promotion of mental health strategies. Certain of these efforts are directed toward medical professionals, as well. With greater understanding, the promoters hope that more significant funding will support public health efforts (screening and treatment), public mental health treatment facilities and no-cost or low-cost medications.

Answer: 31

"Countdown" is a long story about the consequences of an event which instantly kills six billion people, leaving only teenagers to survive. Adults and small children are reduced to puddles of "black goo." Each of the twelve volumes tells of the aftermath in one month of 1999. Daniel Parker is the pen name of Daniel Ehrenhaft, who writes lots of children's and YA books.

Answer: Maia, the Greek and Roman goddess

There is a Greek goddess named Maia and a Roman goddess named Maia; they might be the same goddess but you'd have to ask them about that. The Greek goddess Maia is the daughter of Atlas and Pleione the Oceanid. Maia is the eldest of the seven Pleiades.

She is the mother of Hermes by Zeus. Maia is an earth goddess, connected to growth, which links her to the springtime. Maia is also a Roman goddess, a sort of avatar of the male god Vulcan. She is the mother of Mercury. Much of the Roman belief about her was absorbed from Greek myth. Maia is associated with growth, motherhood, and nurture.

Her feasts were observed on 1 May and 15 May in Ancient Rome. The month of May (Latin: Maius) was likely named after her and in her honour.