Happy May Day!

When I was in elementary school, way back in the 1950s, May 1st, was May Day. We would have festivals and weave little baskets from construction paper to fill with flowers to give to our parents. May Day was to celebrate spring and the best part of the day was dancing around the Maypole.

The graphic above (compliments of Graphicsfairy.com) shows Victorian children dancing around a traditional Maypole. Ours was a little different with long crepe paper streamers that hung down from the top. Each child would hold a streamer and around and around the pole we would go, decorating the pole with bright colored streamers as we danced.

It was great fun but I doubt that anyone under age 60 would remember the Maypole.

Later in the day when we came home from school, my brother, sister and I, along with all the children in the neighborhood, would make construction paper cones and glue little handles on them. Then we would fill the cone baskets with grass, dandelion and clover blossoms and, if we could get away with it, a few flowers from our mother's garden. We would then hang a basket on each neighbors door, ring the bell and run away. We would hide and watch the door open. The neighbor would smile with delight at the little prize.

I don't know that anyone would be happy with that scenario any more. I don't think they would even know what that little paper basket full of grass and clover blossoms would mean. These days, May day is all about politics and protests but I remember a time long ago when it was magical. May Day was the beginning of a wonderful warm, sunny spring season full of rebirth, a celebration of spring and the promise of summer vacation right around the bend.

Happy May Day Everyone!