Celebrate Spring with a
May Day Surprise
By Fay A. Klingler
Perhaps, like me, you remember
May first as more than just another day of the week. I remember
spending days before May Day preparing May baskets filled
with flowers or treats to give to friends, and neighbors.
It was a delightful, “crafty” time.
Mother gave us (children) construction
paper, scissors, and glue to design our baskets. We’d go
in the yard and gather flowers or bake cookies in the kitchen,
fill the baskets (with as much as paper could hold), then
run from one house to another. We would place a basket on
the neighbor’s doorstep or tie it to the door handle, ring
the doorbell, and dash away before getting caught. I remember
lots of giggling and the feeling of warmth that comes when
you do something nice for someone without getting a formal
thank you.
Although that tradition of
the ancient Roman and Druid holiday has endured for centuries
in many parts of the world, I doubt many of our grandchildren
have heard of it. Why not bring this celebration of spring
back to our families? Your basket gift to your grandchildren
could be an announcement that winter has ended and the pleasures
of summer are right around the corner! And you could relive
some of the fun associated with secret gift-giving.
On the other hand, you could
plan a May Day party for your grandchildren at your home,
provide the necessary supplies, have fun helping them design
and fill their baskets, and go with the children to deliver
the baskets to individuals of their choice. That way, you
would not only participate in the fun of gift-giving; you
would also feel the excitement and hear the laughter of
children taking part in a wholesome activity.
Aside from fresh flowers, there
are many possibilities for filling the homemade baskets.
Here are just a few ideas. (It may be necessary to look
for something lightweight, depending on the sturdiness of
the May basket.) Other suggestions can be found in The
LDS Grandparents’ Idea Book on pages 117–118.
- Dollar-store stuffed animal
- Package of potpourri
- Miniature marshmallows
- Raisins
- Jelly beans
- Money — a one-dollar bill
or a two-dollar bill
- Note card
- Picture, possibly laminated
for protection
- Homemade puzzle
- Packet of flower seeds
- Artificial or dry flowers
For friends and family living
far away, you could send a pressed flower card, expressing
joy in the season.
Here is a possible May Day
basket pattern. (If you have trouble working from this description,
send me an e-mail, and I will forward a jpg petal pattern.)
Make a petal pattern similar
to the picture shown. Cut out the pattern. Fold a piece
of brightly colored construction paper (8 ½ X 11 inches)
in half. Fold it again so you have a smaller square with
folds on two sides. Place the pattern on your folded square
with the point, marked with an X in the illustration, at
the corner where the folds meet. Cut out. Do not cut the
folded edges. Repeat with another piece of paper the same
size.
Unfold each piece of paper.
The centers of these two pieces form the bottom of the May
basket and the petals make the sides. Fold each petal over
on the dotted line. Put one sheet of paper over the other
and secure the center with double-sided tape. Lift and overlap
the petals, again securing with double-sided tape.
Cut two pieces of construction
paper, each one inch wide, (from the length of an 8 ½ X
11 sheet). Secure one end from each strip on the bottom
and one on the top of the basket, forming a handle. I punched
holes in the top of the handle (of the illustrated basket)
and threaded a colorful ribbon through the holes to decorate
it. You might want to add paper leaves, beads, or other
ornamentation, along with a cheery, May Day note.
