May Day

May first was one of my favorite holidays growing up in Hopkinton, MA.

We'd make "baskets" out of Dixie cups, decorate the hell out of them with drawings, construction paper, lace doilies, even fabric and then create a handle from pipe stems, ribbons or lace.

Candy, flowers we'd pick from our own spring gardens, and a funny or rhyming unsigned note about the recipient would be the piece de resistance. We'd stealthily approach the porches of our friends, ring the doorbell and then disappear before the door opened. There we'd be, giggling madly behind a bush, a car, a tree trunk as our friends discovered their treasure.

UNsigned!! Figuring out who gifted you with these little bits of heaven was a major part of the excitement.

The making and the doing was so much fun that, often, I'd empty the baskets I got and fill my newly-made ones with treats I'd received from someone else so I could give out more and more of them!

More than Easter, May Day truly signalled spring had sprung.

In Massachusetts, Easter weather was generally still pretty blustery whereas, by May first, it was assured that jonquils, tulips, lilacs would definitely be blooming.

I loved the baskets best of all. I'd line them up on my bedroom windowsill and use them to hold stuff until they got too ratty.

There's never been a May Day that I haven't remembered all my friends and me surprising one another with these home-made tokens of affection.

I'm feeling the love so well, in fact, that I think I might just get out my art and craft supplies to transform the cups in my pantry and drop them off on my friends' doorsteps here in Florida today!! What a fun idea.

Let's ALL do it!? We can start a tradition and spread the love wherever we are.

I double dog dare ya'!!!