62 May Marketing Ideas for Any Business or Budget

M-A-Y. These three letters, when strung collectively in that order, characterize many issues:

• A stunning first or final title.
• Who it’s gonna be, in keeping with N’Sync.
• An expression of chance or permission.
• A month bursting with artistic and compassionate advertising and marketing alternatives

That’s proper. I’m not simply speaking Mother’s Day or Cinco de Mayo. There’s National Limerick Day. Honor Our LGBT Elders Day. Small Business Week. Mental Health Awareness Month. Asparagus Month!?

You don’t see BIC writing limerick about its pens, do you?

So on this put up, I’m supplying you with over 90 free, straightforward, and inventive May advertising and marketing concepts so you may join with present and potential clients in significant and memorable methods.

Table of (artistic) contents

Month-long observances in May

In May, we rejoice, respect, and lift consciousness for quite a bit. Here’s what we’re working with:

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Week-long May observances

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Holidays and observances in May

There’s an entire listing of May holidays and observances on the backside of this put up, however listed below are some highlights:

• National Loyalty Day – each May 1
• National Lumpy Rug Day – each May 3
• Star Wars Day – each May 4
• Cinco de Mayo – each May 5
• Kentucky Derby – May 6
• Teacher Appreciation Day – Tuesday of the primary full week in May
• Mother’s Day – May 8
• Limerick Day – each May 12
• Peace Officer’s Memorial Day – May 15
• Do Something Good for Your Neighbor Day – each May 16
• Bike to Work Day – third Friday in May
• Armed Forces Day – third Saturday in May
• Endangered Species Day – each May 20
• Geek Pride day – each May 25
• National Burger Day- each May 28
• Memorial Day – final Monday of May

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Diversity, Equity & Inclusion advertising and marketing concepts in May

We all hear about variety, accessibility and inclusion in advertising and marketing however what does that seem like? Let’s have a look.

National Honor Our LGBT Elders Day

This vacation, celebrated each May 16, was created by Chase Brexton Health Care, an LGBT well being useful resource heart. It is targeted on honoring protestors, supporters, docs, politicians, influencers and others who blazed the path with the LGBT motion.

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Here are some methods to honor them:

• Do some analysis and establish LGBT trailblazers in your geographic or industrial area of interest and write a weblog put up or social media enjoyable truth put up about them.
• Ask your viewers to share older LGBT mentors and thought leaders of their lives.
• Raise consciousness in regards to the significance of taking good care of LGBT elders who should still lack the care and help they want.

Jewish, Haitian, Asian & Pacific Island Heritage Month

In May, we rejoice people of Jewish, Haitian, Asian, or Pacific Island descent. Here are some methods to do exactly that:

• Consider studying about every of those teams and sharing your findings in a weblog put up or on social media.
• Interview a coworker, shopper, or buddy who identifies with certainly one of these teams on a subject related to your viewers.
• Put a request on the market to your community for people inside these teams to jot down a visitor put up or share their expertise about one thing with a devoted hashtag.

Foster Care Awareness Month

Contrary to what we regularly see in sitcoms or novels, most individuals develop up with various household dynamics. Foster care consciousness is a May vacation meant to deliver to gentle that many present and former foster youngsters wrestle with points like psychological well being,

• Update your advertising and marketing copy to be extra inclusive. For instance, as a substitute of selling a sale for mothers and dads, it’s possible you’ll wish to lengthen your supply to caretakers, grandparents, or guardians as nicely.
• Post foster care info on social media to encourage your viewers to take motion. For instance, do you know that foster youth are seven times extra more likely to have despair, and 5 occasions extra more likely to have nervousness?  There are tons of attention-grabbing statistics like this on the present state of the foster care system that your followers may discover each attention-grabbing and action-worthy. This will present that your corporation actually cares for the trigger.
• Connect with native foster care organizations to search out methods you and your viewers may donate or volunteer. For instance, many foster care dad and mom and case employees share Amazon want lists and extra on social media to permit individuals to help foster youngsters or former foster youth.

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National Silence the Shame Day

This day is noticed each May 5 and is devoted to erasing the disgrace and stigma round psychological well being challenges and issues. Consider these concepts:

• Share eye-opening stats about psychological sickness within the United States (or the world).
• Share a couple of sources for those that are scuffling with nervousness, despair, and different signs.
• Participate in #silencetheshame textathons and fundraisers just like the one beneath.

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National Barrier Awareness Day

Every May 7, National Barrier Awareness Day encourages us to advocate for and educate others about breaking down boundaries—seen and invisible—that stop people with disabilities from dwelling impartial, fulfilled lives.

To take part on this day:

• Use the #nationalbarrierawarenessday hashtag to put up data, sources, and stats.
• Do an Instagram Story takeover by somebody with a incapacity to allow them to share a day within the life.
• Ask your viewers about their experiences with boundaries and the way they overcame them.

Additional observances in May that assist promote variety, fairness, and inclusion embrace:

• National Interpreter Appreciation Day – first Wednesday in May
• Join Hands Day – First Saturday in May
• National Bombshells’ Day – First Saturday in May
• International Being You Day – yearly on May 22

May advertising and marketing concepts for nationwide weeks

We’ve acquired a great deal of concepts for you for May—for Facebook and Instagram posts, weblog posts, occasions, promotions, and extra. We’ve organized them by themes and holidays, however yow will discover industry-specific concepts inside every theme.

National Small Business Week

First and foremost, National Small Business Week occurs yearly each first week of May. Dedicated to elevating consciousness about small companies and celebrating the hard-working house owners behind them, this week shall be full of ample advertising and marketing alternatives. Here are some methods to make the perfect of National Small Business Week:

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• Get return clients: Give out coupons with purchases this week, that may solely be redeemed on an upcoming vacation or on the final day of Small Business Week.
• Get extra leads: Offer a downloadable, small business-themed piece of content material that’s of worth to your target market in alternate for their e mail addresses. You may additionally create a information outlining the specials provided by different small companies in your neighborhood. This is an effective way to attach and community with close by companies and strengthen your ties to the group.
• Promote your promotions: Write a weblog put up with a schedule of the offers, occasions, and contests you’re working and embrace it in your emails and social media posts.
• Increase your publicity: Use #nationalsmallbusinessweek and #nationalsmallbusinessweek[your location] and different related hashtags in your social media posts and promotions.

• Run an Instagram giveaway for a free product or service. Entrants put up a photograph to Instagram of themselves at your corporation, utilizing a customized hashtag. Announce the winner on the finish of the week.
• Connect: Don’t overlook that educating your self about small companies and networking with different small enterprise house owners is vital for your advertising and marketing success as nicely. Attend native occasions, SBA events, or observe alongside by way of stay streams.
• Build group and develop your attain: Team up with different complementary small companies and create an occasion.
• Give again: Make an additional effort to present back to your community by purchasing at, posting critiques, and fascinating in social media with different small companies in the course of the week.

Public Service Recognition Week

For Public Service Recognition Week, put up a thanks to the women and men who make our lives higher by devoting their days to public service professions. Public service workers vary from cops to county clerks to metropolis bus drivers. Say thanks!

Women’s Health Week

During Women’s Health Week, get artistic about the way you present appreciation for your feminine shoppers and consider fun ways to engage them along with your store and on Instagram.

This influencer partnered with integrative well being suppliers to share ladies’s well being instructional content material and sources:

This health heart took their spin class outdoor to shake issues up a bit. This is a good thought, particularly in the course of the pandemic. If lugging out gear isn’t an choice, go for a yoga class, dance class, or boot camp. This can also be an effective way to point out potential clients how superior your courses are.

May advertising and marketing concepts for nationwide days & holidays

Kentucky Derby

Use the Kentucky Derby in your May advertising and marketing efforts. Get artistic with derby trend or horse-themed decorations, promotions, contests, and occasions. For instance,

• Change up your storefront with a derby theme to seize consideration and entice clients.
• Blog about derby trend and outfits for women and men.
• Throw a derby social gathering with derby hat contests and mint juleps.
• Host a cooking or cocktail-making class.
• Run a derby hat contest on Instagram or Facebook.
• Use derby hashtags resembling #kyderby, or your individual customized hashtag (like #derbyatjoes) so that folks can discover you and observe alongside.

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Cinco de Mayo

In the spirit of Cinco de Mayo, there are a lot of methods to infuse a Mexican-American spirit into your advertising and marketing. For instance:

• Food or health companies can put up recipes or movies of recipes on social media.
• Give out coupons the day earlier than or a couple of days earlier than, redeemable on Cinco de Mayo.
• Share a festive low cost “code word” on social media, clients who point out the code in-store get 15% off.

• Use a triumph or underdog theme. This vacation comes from Mexico’s unlikely victory over the French within the Battle of Puebla. Give your clients the victory over excessive costs, lengthy traces, gradual service, and extra with specific offers.
• Use the quantity 5 in your promotions, resembling get the fifth one free, $5 specials, 5% off, 5 for 5, and many others.
• Throw a celebration or cooking class revolving round Mexican meals and tradition.
• Consider providing your followers details about the place to take pleasure in Cinco de Mayo. Remember, not the whole lot you put up must be in an effort to make a sale. Providing helpful data offers your followers another excuse to maintain watching you on social media.

Teacher Appreciation Day

May 2nd is Teacher Appreciation Day—an ideal time for preschools to market themselves to new dad and mom in anticipation of the brand new faculty yr.

• Throw a celebration for lecturers or have college students write thanks letters to point out off in your weblog, in e mail newsletters to oldsters, or on social media.
• Update your web site content material with new trainer bios and footage.
• Did anybody obtain a brand new diploma or have a trainer accomplishment to share? This is the right time to showcase them in an “About Us” web page in your web site. Doing so not solely highlights your educating workers, nevertheless it can also improve your SEO.

Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day is prime time for any enterprise, not simply the flower outlets, salons, and spas (though it’s advantageous!). We have an entire put up on Mother’s Day advertising and marketing concepts, however listed below are a couple of:

• Flower outlets and bakeries can supply particular Mother’s Day merchandise, and reductions for Mother’s Day gift-givers, both on today or the day earlier than as nicely.
• Salons and spas can create Mother’s Day-themed reward certificates, or supply 2-for-1 offers for moms and daughters celebrating collectively.
• Combine merchandise and/or providers into engaging reward packages that make gift-giving straightforward.
• Post on Instagram utilizing any of those Mother’s Day Instagram captions.

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• Businesses that get a spike in site visitors on Mother’s Day can hand out coupons with purchases which are redeemable at a later time (ideally a time when enterprise usually will get gradual).
• Preschools can have their little ones create Mother’s Day playing cards or crafts to ship house. Make certain to put up the images on social media or observe up with a weblog put up or e mail publication to speak with dad and mom!
• Run a Mother’s Day photograph contest on Facebook.

Memorial Day

Here are some methods to point out your patriotism and love for the great ol’ USA by means of your corporation advertising and marketing on Memorial Day.

• Show your respect with these Memorial Day Instagram captions.
• Promote pink, white, and blue-themed recipes, outfits, flower preparations, jewellery, and different merchandise and promote on Pinterest and Instagram.

• Host a BBQ or picnic for your group, and provides out branded swag like sun shades or water bottles.
• Participate in or sponsor an area occasion.
• Use quotes, photographs, and different posts on social media to point out your help for those that have misplaced their lives for our nation.
• Run a charity race or journey to recollect our troops and veterans.
• Memorial Day is usually celebrated with gatherings (small ones throughout COVID-19), and Groupon will characteristic seasonal offers on its website. Try working a Groupon deal geared for households and teams. You may supply winter and spring services at a reduction or even introduce your summer season offers.

• Run lengthy weekend offers that encourage others to take a look at your corporation throughout their mini-vacay.

And should you’re in a pinch, head on over to those Memorial Day marketing ideas you can pull off last-minute.

Star Wars Day

Star Wars Day merely can’t be ignored with its rising reputation. Run a webinar or stay stream on today to assist add some creativity to your copy.

Or, set up a stay or digital Star Wars trivia evening or contest. The prize could possibly be reductions on future purchases or even a small money prize for the successful workforce to share.

Bike to Work Day

Perhaps a shock to most, Bike to Work Day is sort of a giant deal in most main cities. Many metro areas have web sites to register for the day and to arrange giant bike-riding teams. Look for data relating to your native Bike to Work Day actions and put up helpful data for your followers.

Geek Pride Day

Geek Pride Day gives you the chance to geek out over something you assume is the bee’s knees (a technical geek time period). Geek out over a subject in your {industry} that you simply’re enthusiastic about, or ask your workers about what they geek out on. Or, ask your social media followers questions associated to the day.

ALS

Not solely is it vital to help worthy causes, however statistically, individuals are extra apt to do enterprise with firms that share their values. This restaurant acquired a repost from an ALS-focused group to assist drive clients to their fundraiser:

You may additionally put up infographics that educate the general public:

Peace Officer’s Memorial Day

As part of Public Service Recognition Week, we have now Peace Officer’s Memorial Day on May 15. In addition to our troops and veterans, nobody deserves our adulation greater than those that serve and shield our cities. Take a second to present a giant thanks to your city’s protectors and even supply up specials particularly for Peace Officers.

More May advertising and marketing themes & concepts

Warm climate/spring cleansing

Take benefit of the hotter climate and supply data and useful tricks to your clients in accordance with your corporation.

• Contractors, landscaping firms, and painters ought to enhance their May advertising and marketing efforts to get new shoppers for the spring and summer season months. Try sending out postcards encouraging householders to get their houses and gardens in high form for summer season.

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• Now’s the time to run that gutter cleansing sale or put up footage on Facebook of your most up-to-date outside paint job. Build your content material authority with Search engine optimization-optimized weblog posts about seasonal upkeep.

Speaking of spring cleansing, why not do some of your individual by going by means of your web site, advert campaigns, social media profiles, and listings to verify data is updated, images are related to the season, and hyperlinks are working correctly. You could wish to refresh a number of the evergreen content material from final yr that carried out nicely round this time.

• Gather up your high critiques from final yr and share them on social media. These make for pleasurable Tweets with no stress to click on a hyperlink or learn extra. You may additionally share success tales with before-and-after images to get shoppers excited in regards to the heat climate.
• What higher time to get the chatter going about your corporation when individuals are getting excited in regards to the heat climate? Word of mouth advertising and marketing is vital for small companies. Offer current shoppers a reduction or incentive for every new shopper they refer who turns into a paying buyer.

Flowers

April showers deliver May flowers. If you personal a flower store, May advertising and marketing is your time to shine! (If you don’t, there are nonetheless alternatives!).

• Host that flower arranging workshop you’ve been fascinated by.
• Start a Pinterest board to see if Pinterest is true for your corporation, or develop your Pinterest following along with your creations linked to your on-line retailer or weblog.
• You don’t need to be a florist to make use of flowers in your advertising and marketing. Spruce up your workplace, restaurant, or storefront with flowers. Nothing says “spring” like fresh-cut flowers that add a pop of coloration to your corporation area.
• Buy flowers from an area florist and introduce your self. Supporting different small enterprise house owners is step one to getting extra word-of-mouth referrals.

Weddings

May is the beginning of marriage ceremony season and an ideal time to market your corporation to new people who find themselves on the town. Unless, after all, you’re internet hosting a digital marriage ceremony this yr because of the pandemic. Here are some wedding-based advertising and marketing concepts for each stay and digital weddings.

• Caterers, occasion planners, DJs, photographers, bakeries, and different wedding-friendly providers: Use social media to interact clients as a lot as attainable. Whether you’re internet hosting the bachelorette social gathering at your restaurant, baking the marriage cupcakes at your bakery, or photographing the occasion, be sure you take footage and share them on Facebook and different social media platforms. You may wish to ask and see if you need to use the particular customized hashtag for the occasion. This is an effective way to place a reputation to the options of the marriage that stick out to friends (who can turn into or refer you to new clients) and their social media audiences.
• Landscapers can capitalize on marriage ceremony venue house owners trying to good their property.
• Or maybe you wish to run a digital marriage ceremony planning marketing campaign, by means of natural content material or paid ads.

• Fitness and vitamin companies can present exercises, recipes, weblog posts, and recommendations on attending to your healthiest and finest model of your self in time for these closely photographed occasions.

More May advertising and marketing magic

Show how busy your corporation has been by merely offering some updates for the month of May. You may body it as “May mayhem” to showcase to your viewers how your corporation is quickly progressing. You would possibly:

And extra!

Final ideas for your May advertising and marketing

Whatever you resolve to do to advertise your corporation in May, be sure you recap your occasions, promotions, and festivities in your subsequent e mail publication or weblog put up in order that those that missed out will wish to be a part of within the enjoyable subsequent yr. Also, be sure you ship follow-up emails to any new leads for your corporation. And throughout your campaigns, put up real-time images and user-generated content material to encourage extra participation.

Couldn’t get sufficient? We’ve acquired tons extra May social media holidays and ideas here!

Not May? Here’s our full sequence of month-to-month advertising and marketing concepts

And for a yr’s price of selling concepts, check out this marketing calendar template from our friends at LocaliQ.

Full listing of May holidays and observances

Thank you, as at all times, to National Day Calendar for supplying nowadays and dates!

May 1

• Law Day
• May Day
• National Chocolate Parfait Day
• National Loyalty Day
• National Mother Goose Day
• School Principals’ Day
• Silver Star Service Banner Day
• Melanoma Monday – First Monday in May

May 2

• National Life Insurance Day
• National Truffle Day
• National Foster Care Day – First Tuesday in May
• National Teacher Appreciation Day – Tuesday of the First Full Week in May

May 3

• National Chocolate Custard Day
• National Garden Meditation Day
• National Lumpy Rug Day
• National Montana Day
• National Paranormal Day
• National Raspberry Popover Day
• National SAN Architect Day
• National Specially-Able Pets Day
• National Textiles Day
• National Two Different Colored Shoes Day
• National Skilled Trades Day – First Wednesday in May
• National Interpreter Appreciation Day – First Wednesday in May

May 4

• Bird Day
• National Candied Orange Peel Day
• National Orange Juice Day
• National Renewal Day
• National Star Wars Day
• National Weather Observers Day
• National Bike to School Day – Changes yearly – May 4, 2022

May 5

• Cinco de Mayo
• National Astronaut Day
• National Cartoonists Day
• National Hoagie Day
• National Silence the Shame Day
• National Totally Chipotle Day
• National Day of Prayer – First Thursday in May
• National Day of Reason – First Thursday in May
• World Password Day – First Thursday in May
• National Space Day – First Friday in May
• School Lunch Hero Day – First Friday in May
• Free Comic Book Day – First Saturday in May

May sixth

• National Beverage Day
• National Crepe Suzette Day
• National Nurses Day
• National Bombshells’ Day – First Saturday in May
• National Fitness Day – First Saturday in May
• National Homebrew Day – First Saturday in May
• National Play Outside Day – First Saturday of Every Month
• National Scrapbook Day – First Saturday in May
• Join Hands Day – First Saturday in May
• Kentucky Derby – First Saturday in May
• National Start Seeing Monarchs Day – First Saturday in May
• National Train Day – Saturday Closest to May 10

May 7

• National Barrier Awareness Day
• National Packaging Design Day
• National Paste-Up Day
• National Roast Leg of Lamb Day
• National Infertility Survival Day – Sunday Before Mother’s Day

May 8

• National Coconut Cream Pie Day
• National Have a Coke Day
• National Student Nurse Day
• National Women’s Checkup Day – Second Monday in May

May 9

• National Home Front Heroes Day
• National Alphabet Magnet Day
• National Butterscotch Brownie Day
• National Lost Sock Memorial Day
• National Moscato Day
• National Sleepover Day

May 10

• National Clean Up Your Room Day
• National Lipid Day
• National Shrimp Day
• National Washington Day
• National Receptionists’ Day – Second Wednesday in May
• National Third Shift Workers Day – Second Wednesday in May
• National School Nurse Day – Wednesday of National Nurses Week

May 11

• National Eat What You Want Day
• National Foam Rolling Day
• National Twilight Zone Day

May 12

• National Fibromyalgia Awareness Day
• National Limerick Day
• National Nutty Fudge Day
• National Odometer Day
• National Military Spouse Appreciation Day – Friday Before Mother’s Day
• National Provider Appreciation Day – Friday Before Mother’s Day

May 13

• National Apple Pie Day
• National Crouton Day
• National Frog Jumping Day
• National Fruit Cocktail Day
• National Blame Someone Else Day – First Friday the thirteenth of the Year (May 13, 2022)
• National Babysitter’s Day – Saturday earlier than Mother’s Day
• National Birth Mother’s Day – Saturday earlier than Mother’s Day
• Cornelia De Lange Syndrome Awareness Day – Second Saturday in May
• National Archery Day – Second Saturday in May
• National Dog Mom’s Day – Second Saturday in May
• National Miniature Golf Day – Second Saturday in May
• Stamp Out Hunger Food Drive Day – Second Saturday in May

May 14

• Mother’s Day
• National Buttermilk Biscuit Day
• National Dance Like a Chicken Day
• National Decency Day
• National Underground America Day
• Take Your Parents to the Playground Day – Third Sunday in May

May 15

• National Chocolate Chip Day
• National Nylon Stocking Day
• Peace Officers Memorial Day

May 16

• Honor Our LGBT Elders Day
• National Barbecue Day
• National Biographer’s Day
• National Coquilles Saint Jacques Day
• National Do Something Good for Your Neighbor Day
• National Love a Tree Day
• National Mimosa Day
• National Piercing Day
• National Sea Monkey Day

May 17

• National Cherry Cobbler Day
• National Graduation Tassel Day
• National Idaho Day
• National Pack Rat Day
• National Walnut Day
• National Juice Slush Day – Third Wednesday In May

May 18

• National Cheese Soufflé Day
• National HIV Vaccine Awareness Day
• National No Dirty Dishes Day
• National Visit Your Relatives Day

May 19

• National Devil’s Food Cake Day
• National May Ray Day
• NASCAR Day – Third Friday in May
• National Bike to Work Day – Third Friday in May
• National Pizza Party Day – Third Friday in May
• National Defense Transportation Day – Third Friday in May
• National Endangered Species Day – Third Friday in May

May 20

• International Red Sneakers Day
• National Be a Millionaire Day
• National Pick Strawberries Day
• National Quiche Lorraine Day
• National Rescue Dog Day
• National Streaming Day
• National Armed Forces Day – Third Saturday in May
• National Learn to Swim Day – Third Saturday in May

May 21

• National American Red Cross Founder’s Day
• National Memo Day
• National Strawberries and Cream Day
• National Waitstaff Day

May 22

• International Being You Day
• National Buy a Musical Instrument Day
• National Craft Distillery Day
• National Maritime Day
• National Solitaire Day
• National Vanilla Pudding Day
• World Paloma Day

May 23

• National Lucky Penny Day
• National Taffy Day

May 24

• Brother’s Day
• National Aviation Maintenance Technician Day
• National Escargot Day
• National Scavenger Hunt Day
• National Wyoming Day
• National Yucatan Shrimp Day
• National Senior Health & Fitness Day – Last Wednesday in May

May 25

• National Brown-Bag It Day
• National Missing Children’s Day
• National Tap Dance Day
• National Wine Day
• Towel Day

May 26

• National Blueberry Cheesecake Day
• National Paper Airplane Day
• National Cooler Day – Friday Before Memorial Day
• National Don’t Fry Day – Friday Before Memorial Day
• National Road Trip Day – Friday Before Memorial Day

May 27

• National Cellophane Tape Day
• National Grape Popsicle Day

May 28

• National Beef Burger Day
• National Brisket Day
• National Hamburger Day

May 29

• National 529 Day
• National Coq Au Vin Day
• National Paperclip Day
• National Memorial Day – Last Monday in May

May 30

• Loomis Day
• National Creativity Day
• National Hole In My Bucket Day
• National Mint Julep Day
• National Water a Flower Day
• World Multiple Sclerosis Day

May 31

• Autonomous Vehicle Day
• National Macaroon Day
• National Save Your Hearing Day
• National Smile Day
• National Speak in Sentences Day
• National Utah Day
• Necrotizing Fasciitis Awareness Day