Tuesday, May 1, 2012

Is May Day an official holiday?

I loved May Day when I was a kid! The first day in May was a yearly celebration of May baskets, surrepticious door ringing and rapid running. Every year on May Day we got out the construction paper and stapler and created some cone-shaped baskets with little paper hangers. Then we raided the neighborhood flower beds for whatever flowers were blooming. We artfully arranged them in the paper cones (tossed them in), then the fun part began.

After you selected the May basket recipient, you snuck up to their house, hung the basket on the door handle, rang the bell, and RAN! We retreated to a nearby bush or other vantage point so we could see the perplexed neighbor answer the door. Hopefully they would smile as they found the flower basket. That's assuming we hadn't deflowered their own prize roses!

I remember a next door neighbor boy who was a constant source of torment for the girls in the hood. We loaded his May basket with dirt and rocks. It was meant to be an insult, but he probably thought they were "neat" supplies for his next annoying project.


Here's my version of a grownup May basket. I bought these beautiful flowers at the local Farmer's Market last weekend. The peonies are getting a little tired, but the scent is amazing.

So ...while my desk at L*K is overflowing with Halloween motifs, I'm firmly rooted in the beauty of spingtime in Kansas!


9 comments:

  1. Give us a hint?!! I love Halloween!! Please, please just a little heads up?!!

    Ellen

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  2. I LOVE your Halloween designs...can't wait to see them hun...flowers are very pretty..

    Hugs, Shar

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  3. LOVE LOVE Halloween!!! Bring it my fave!!!

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  4. And who won bacon? I want to know I won it before I go buy it this weekend!

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  5. Pretty flowers. I love your May Day recollections too. I don't remember doing that, but I'd have loved to as a kid!! (It's funny, you got more comments on the one sentence about Halloween than you did about the whole rest of the post, lol.)

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  6. Thanks for sharing your May Day memories with us! Today in Seattle we had protests about all sorts of
    things that have nothing to do with May Day. I kept
    saying "It's May Day! We're suppose to be wrapping ribbons around poles and leaving little flower baskets on our friends door - not fighting about our feelings of being picked upon for what ever reason. I spent the day with one of my best friends. We had lunch together, went to Ross and forgot to ask for our Senior discounts! Happy May Day!

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  7. Great work, thanx for sharing. This is getting one if my favourite blogs!

    Cabinet Handles
    Traffic Signs
    Hex Nuts
    Scientific Instruments

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  8. Ironic that you should post about May Day with the same memories that I have! My sweet husband claimed ignorance, but when he talked with his 92 year old mother yesterday, she recounted baskets and surprises like ours. He was astonished! Ah, men...

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  9. Just got a notice from an ONS about your Halloween mystery auto-ship; hints, please?!! ;D

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