May Day

Remember making May Baskets as a kid? I do. I'm really not sure if it started at school or at home--I think school, but I know my mom reinforced the celebration of the holiday. It's these simple activities that are my fondest childhood memories.

I recall making baskets from construction paper, either rectangular ones, or cone-shaped, and attaching a paper handle long enough to hang the basket from a doorknob. Decorated with crayons, glue, glitter, and contrasting paper, they were filled meticulously with leftover Easter grass, then stuffed with candies and small flowers. The great fun was doorbell-dodging the recipient: Hanging the basket on the given door, ringing the bell, and running around the corner to hide and watch the recipient discover their surprise.

My mother may have been a fan of the holiday solely because her birthday falls on May 1st, or perhaps because it kept me out of her hair for at least the afternoon. Either way, I remember it fondly. Do you celebrate the beginning of spring in your home? Leave me a note on the blog with your favorite May Day traditions. If you're looking for a pattern, try this one from the blog Flying Time Designs.