May is full of interesting days! Here are our top picks for the month:
To start off May is the ever popular Star Wars Day on May the 4th, celebrating all things to do with the fifth highest grossing media franchise of all time. Whether you want to dress up as Chewbacca, play a Star Wars themed game or have a watch party, May the 4th be with you!
Sunday 8th May is World Donkey Day. How can you not love donkeys? They are such kind and calm animals with their big fluffy ears and soulful eyes! They are intelligent and sociable and have been our companions for more than 400 years.
But why is it, that for most of that time we have treated them so badly? We have, and still do, rely on them as beasts to transport food and water and many other things in various places throughout the world.
The Donkey Sanctuary has webcams installed, allowing you to check in on some donkeys without even leaving your sofa, for free. But if you would like to contribute to the rescue and welfare of donkeys, then you may want to adopt one too.
Friday the 13th maybe unlucky for some, but not for those who enjoy a drink after work, as Friday May 13th is World Cocktail Day.
Our favourite cocktails in the office are an Espresso Martini (recipe below), a Boston Tea Party, a Long Island Iced Tea and of course a Piña Colada. But the great thing about cocktails is that you can make up your own and give it a name - you never know, it may become the drink of the year!
The not so great thing is that they taste so good that you won’t know how much alcohol you have drunk until you wake up the next day. Although, there is nothing stopping you from swapping standard spirits with non alcoholic ones if that suits you better.
Espresso Martini:
Combine all the ingredients together with crushed ice in a cocktail shaker. Shake and then strain into a martini glass. Enjoy!
Next up is World Bee Day on Friday 20th May. Bees are vital to our ecosystem and their numbers are declining, so World Bee Day was introduced in 2018 to raise awareness and help stop their decline.
The most common bees in the UK are bumble bees, honey bees, mining bees and mason bees. The numbers of honey bees in the UK have dropped by around 45% in the last few years, and at least 3 species of bumble bees have become extinct.
Like Pooh Bear, we should all love bees. They make honey and live in harmony with us humans. However, many people are frightened of them because they can sting. They only do this as a last resort, though - they are far more interested in flowers. As the sting is left behind and ripped from their stomachs causing them to die, I am sure they would rather be buzzing about with their mates.
Last up is not a day but rather a full month, May is Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) and Hypermobility Spectrum Disorder (HSD) Awareness Month.
EDS is a rare genetic condition which affects the connective tissue to joints, skin and blood vessels, which often results in continuous pain. Unfortunately though it often goes misdiagnosed leaving those affected with incorrect or a lack of treatment, hence why awareness month was created back in 2006. It’s a cause that’s close to our hearts here at thebestof Hertford and Ware, with one of us suffering from EDS. If you would like to know more about the condition and how you can help spread awareness then take a look at the Ehlers-Danlos Support UK website: https://www.ehlers-danlos.org/
