Unique May Date Ideas

A new month means new adventures! I have a new addiction: random, unique and (probably fake) holidays. I don’t know who decides to create these days, but I love a good holiday, so I will take any excuse I can to celebrate something. I have decided to compile a list of date ideas based off of the random holidays I found in May. Just because I used the word “date” does not mean that it has to be a romantic date; although these are great date ideas for couples or even first date ideas. It could also be a friend date or a family date. These are ideas for experiences, so let’s give these holidays the respect they deserve and celebrate like it’s Christmas!

Our "fancy" sushi picnic

May 3: For Garden Meditation and Space Day, I highly suggest a picnic dinner and some stargazing in your favorite park or beautiful backyard. Don’t forget the soft blanket and the pillows for comfort! This is a nice low budget date if you bring food from home or some cheap takeout. But, if it is your night to splurge, definitely class it up with some fancy takeout from your favorite place, a few candles and a speaker for some relaxing music while you stargaze. This is a great summer date as well to carry on as we shift into summer. 

May 4: Of course May the 4^th is Star Wars day. Celebrate with a comfortable in home movie date, or, if your town is celebrating the holiday with a drive in movie, a showing in theaters, or a movie in the park, take advantage!

May 5: For National Hoagie Day, surprise your significant other with their favorite sub, meet them for a lunch date, or make your own hoagie dinner together. Not to mention, it’s Cinco de Mayo, so I’m sure that you will have a party or two to go to. 

My birthday pie

May 6: This may be the best day of the month because it is Tourist Appreciation, and No Diet Day! I’m pretty sure that means calories and food sensitivities don’t count for 24 hours… Spend the day being tourists in your own town! Look online at the travel brochures for your city and go to all of the attractions, popular restaurants and bakeries. For added fun, make up fake alter egos, visiting from a faraway land to really embrace being a “tourist.”

My friend and I after we donated blood

May 8: For World Red Cross Day allows for a mindful date idea, go out to lunch together, then donate blood. Afterwards relax and recoup watching your favorite movie and eating snacks. Donating blood burns a lot of calories and gives your body the opportunity to produce new, fresh blood, so it is both a fun date and promotes physical wellness. Not to mention you save lives!

Found the sweetest cat at the animal shelter

May 9: I had to add Lost Sock Memorial Day because it is just so ridiculous. We all have old socks that are just lonely and unused. Use this day to make those old socks into dog toys and then take a trip to your local shelter to donate them. While you are there, play around with the animals and give them lots of love. This date always brings us lots of smiles and good memories :).Check out The Proud Dog Mom's easy tutorials for dog toys out of old socks!

May 10: Clean Up Your Room Day doesn’t sound like a fun holiday…but it is necessary for people like me. Put effort toward your environmental wellness and clean out your room. Then, invite your significant other over for a fancy dinner, dessert, or movie date to show off your hard work. If you are as much of a slob as me, then your significant other will be surprised and grateful. I am dating a neat freak, so he would love if I took advantage of this holiday!

May 11: If you live in a windy city, then National Windmill Day is for you! I grew up in a town with windmills, and my boyfriend and I would always order some Taco Bell, drive up to the windmills in the foothills, and look at the beautiful view of the city lights at night which made for a very cute date. It is so mesmerizing, and being isolated up in the foothills together provides some great opportunities for deep talks and interesting conversations. Conversation always flows better over some Taco Bell!

Mom and I on a brunch date

May 12: For Lilac Sunday and, of course, Mother’s Day spend some time with your mom and bring her some Lilacs! Take your mom and your significant other’s mom on a date and let them bond and get to know each other. Maybe take them to brunch, coffee, dinner/dessert. 

May 14: Dance Like a Chicken Day would not be complete without some crazy dancing. Invite friends over for a dance party, see if there is a dance class you and your friends are interested in trying, go to Zumba, or go out dancing! In Moscow, there is always swing dancing, and, even if you are not a gifted dancer, it is a lot of fun. My friends and I also went and took an African dancing class and it was honestly so fun!

May 15: For National Chocolate Chip Day of course make some chocolate chip cookies. If you want to have a double or triple date, have a chocolate chip baking competition with your friends. You can eat all kinds of cookies, inevitably laugh a lot, and bond with other couples. Another fun date idea is to go to your local chocolate shop. We have a chocolate company here in Moscow, and it is so fun to go by and see what new flavors they have going. 

May 16: Celebrate Wear Purple for Peace Day by heading to your local thrift store with some other couples. Try to find a cheap outfit for your significant other that is completely purple, then go out for dinner or on an adventure dressed like a grape in the purple clothes you purchased. Money spent at thrift stores commonly goes back into the community, and you are going to get some hilarious looks and pictures walking around town.

May 17: Take advantage of National Bike to Work Day and go on a bike ride. It doesn’t even have to be to work! Don’t have a bike? There are generally places in town where you can rent a tandem bike which is an entire other level of fun and amusement. Bike around your local greenbelt, your favorite trail, or to a nearby town if you are more ambitious. Stop there for a picnic lunch and then bike back. This makes for some fun exercise and bonding. Bring a Bluetooth speaker and listen to your favorite music while you ride. This is a great cheap date idea if you are trying to save money.

My siblings and I at an awesome museum in Hawaii

May 18: For International Museums Day, go to a museum with your significant other. Most towns have at least a local history museum, and that stuff is important to know! So, work on your Intellectual Wellness together and learn about your community history or local environment.

May 19: I live in a little apartment, but I am so in to indoor herb gardens! So, for World Plant a Vegetable Garden Day my roommate and I are going to plant an herb garden! (She does not know this yet….but it will be fun!) Then we can make homemade tea, add fresh herbs to our food, and have beautiful plants in our house. Then, go on a double or triple date to volunteer at your local community garden. It is a great way to be outside in the fresh air and do some good for the community all together.

A strawberry guava smoothie...yum!

May 20: Pick Strawberries Day is tricky as there is nowhere to pick them here unless you grow them. I am going to go on a smoothie date with my friends and boyfriend. Celebrate the delicious fruit that we all love! In smoothie form!

Fancy pizza date with my dorky boyfriend

May 21: For National Waiters and Waitresses Day, do a hard-working serviceperson a solid by going out to your favorite restaurant and leaving a nice sized tip to your waiter or waitress. It’s a hard job to serve so many people each day, so giving a little extra for a tip is a great motivator for them to keep working. 

We had beautiful coffee with our live music

May 22: Buy a Musical Instrument Day. Have you always wanted to play an instrument? Does your significant other or a friend have the same burning desire? Buy that instrument and enroll in a class together! May 22 can mark the start of your musical journey together. As an alternative to this date, go out to a live musical performance at a coffee shop or theater. Even if you aren’t a musical person, it can be fun to take a minute with people you love to experience something new.

Lake Alturas, one of my favorites

May 25: For National Towel Day, find the closest body of water that is safe for swimming, and take a day or afternoon trip with friends! This is a great if you are looking for an adventurous date idea. It is so relaxing to sun on the beach, wade in the shallows, or swim laps to decompress. Make a fun, cheap memory with friends by enjoying a day on the water. In Moscow, we are close to a great river with a beach area, and many lakes that have water sports, tours, and hiking trails all around. 

My boyfriend and I on our favorite hike

May 27: It is of course Memorial Day. Many people have celebrations or get togethers on this day to commemorate loved ones. Spend this day with family or friends who have lost loved ones, or with veterans who donated a lot of their lives to maintain our freedom. However, on this noble Sun Screen Day, remember to enjoy nature in the land that they fought and are fighting for. Take your friends or loved ones or significant other and go on a hike. Enjoy your freedom on this day because it definitely was not free.

May 28: What better day to gain back the calories you just burnt on your Memorial Day hike that to celebrate National Hamburger Day. Have a barbecue with friends, or go out to a gourmet burger place with your SO. If you are craving some Five Guys or McDonalds, I understand that to and say, “treat yourself!”

May 30: For Water a Flower Day, go to your local flower gardens. This is the perfect date idea for spring. Spokane, which isn’t too far from Moscow, has a beautiful park with massive flower filled gardens. Meander around and find your favorite flowers. As an alternative, surprise your significant other with flowers from the market or your yard. Such a romantic and thoughtful gesture is always appreciated and makes for a great day together even if you don’t have much else planned.

May 31: Finally, National Macaroon Day. I suggest finding the best place in town to purchase macaroons. Go to all of the bakeries and split a macaroon at each one. If you want to really enjoy your day as a food critic, be extra enough to leave a yelp review of the macaroons at each bakery. Really embrace your role as macaroon connoisseur! Once you have found your favorite flavor, attempt to make them at home. Walk from bakery to bakery if the town you live in is small enough—you will want the exercise to burn off the sweets!

I will definitely be going on many of these dates with friends and my boyfriend on my free days. We love doing random, fun things. Being in a small town means we have to get pretty creative as far as our dates. Again, all of these are examples of fun ways to celebrate these obscure holidays, but take into account your financial ability and tweak the dates accordingly. Don’t forget your financial wellness this month! If one of the ideas is too expensive, brainstorm ways to make it more manageable. If you want to class up a date for a special, pricey date night, there is ALWAYS a way to make things more expensive. Finally, remember, these dates are not only for significant others or friends, they can be family or sibling dates too. Use May to spend time with people that you love, making memories and going on adventures. It is such an important part of your social wellness to do so.

Let me know what your favorite odd holiday is to celebrate and how you celebrate in the comments below :) And don't forget to subscribe if you haven't already!

For more random holidays, check out this website.