The Celebration of May Day

Thank you Annie for requesting this post!

As a child my family of five children (I was smack dab in the middle) always celebrated May Day with the other families in the neighborhood. We would decorate disposable plastic cups, little green baskets that strawberries use to come in at the grocery store, or make them out of construction paper and embellish them with ribbons, paper, stickers, or markers. We would then fill them full of all kinds of treats such as candy, popcorn, pretzels, and/or homemade cookies. We would quietly place the "basket" of treats on the door step or porch of a neighbor, ring the door bell, then bolt as fast as we could away before the expecting recipient would answer the door. We knew that if the person who answered the door would catch us we'd get a kiss. And this is how we celebrated it.

While thinking up how to write this post I decided to do a little research into what exactly May Day is all about. While thinking of this post I asked around to my family and friends to see who knew about May Day.....I received mixed reactions to it. There were some who knew exactly what I was asking about and others who have never heard of such a celebration.

Here is what I discovered in my research.....

Roots of May Day celebration in America:
The Puritans frowned on May Day, so the day has never been celebrated with as much enthusiasm in the United States as in Great Britain. But the tradition of celebrating May Day by dancing and singing around a maypole, tied with colorful streamers or ribbons, survived as a part of the English tradition. The kids celebrating the day by moving back and forth around the pole with the the streamers, choosing of May queen, and hanging of May baskets on the doorknobs of folks -- are all the leftovers of the old European traditions.
Read more at http://www.theholidayspot.com/mayday/history.htm#4hWtFhqOOcbTDRYm.99

Roots of May Day celebration in America:
The Puritans frowned on May Day, so the day has never been celebrated with as much enthusiasm in the United States as in Great Britain. But the tradition of celebrating May Day by dancing and singing around a maypole, tied with colorful streamers or ribbons, survived as a part of the English tradition. The kids celebrating the day by moving back and forth around the pole with the the streamers, choosing of May queen, and hanging of May baskets on the doorknobs of folks -- are all the leftovers of the old European traditions.
Read more at http://www.theholidayspot.com/mayday/history.htm#4hWtFhqOOcbTDRYm.99

• May Day is celebrated on May 1st! 
• May Day is celebrated more in Great Britain than in the United States. 
• Traditions include dancing and singing around a maypole, tied with colorful streamers or ribbons. Children celebrate by hanging May baskets on doorknobs. 
• Many times a festival is held and a May Queen is chosen. 
• May Day was also celebrated by some early European settlers of the American continent. 
• In some parts of the United States, May baskets are made. These are small baskets usually filled with flowers or treats and left at someone's doorstep. The giver rings the bell and runs away. The person receiving the basket tries to catch the fleeing giver; if caught, a kiss is exchanged!

More information on the holiday and it's origins came be found at:
History and Origin
May Day

Every year since my daughter was born we have celebrated May Day with our closest family and friends.

Here are some ideas on how to celebrate May Day:

DIY Coffee Filter Flowers.... 

Materials Needed:
* Coffee Filters (you can get cheap ones at the dollar store)
* Markers
* Old newspaper
* A spray bottle with water
* Green (or any color) pipe cleaner

Step 1: Color your coffee filters any way you like. The more you color and the more colors you use the prettier (in my opinion) the flower will be. If little ones are helping you make these you will want to place the newspaper underneath so they don't color all over your table or counter top!

 Here is my three-year-old daughter showing off her coloring skills!

Step 2: With the newspaper still underneath spray the coffee filters with the water from the spray bottle. The coffee filters will go flat as you spray them. Again you'll want that newspaper underneath as the markers will bleed some.

Step 3: Let them dry. We let ours dry for about an hour.

Step 4:  We used two coffee filters per flower.... you can use more or less. It's all up to you. Taking the coffee filter bunch it in the center at the bottom and wrap a pipe cleaner around it. You may want to use a bit of glue to reinforce the flower if you want it to last.

Step 5: Display your beautiful flowers in a nice vase.

Step 6: Gift your beautiful creation to an un-expecting friend on May Day.


Construction Paper Cone Baskets....

Materials Needed:
* Colored construction paper
* Scissors
* Glue, tape or a stapler
* Ribbon
* A hole punch

Step 1: Chose your color construction paper and your design. This year we made flowers. Last year we made bumble bees. Use your imagination and embellish however you wish.

Step 2: Take a sheet of paper (any color you want) and roll it into a cone shape. We cut a small piece off the top to make the cone "level".

Step 3: After picking your design get to work cutting it out...if you have little ones helping you with this project I'd recommend cutting out the pieces for them but let them glue or tape the pieces in place.

Step 4: Glue, tape or staple it together. Pictured above is my three-year-old gluing her flower onto the cone.

Step 5: You may want to reinforce the bottom with a little tape so your treats do not fall through the tiny hole in the bottom of the cone.

Step 5: Hole punch two holes across from each other on the top. Then use the ribbon to make a cute handle.

Step 6: Fill your beautiful creation with yummy treats. 

Step 7: Hang your adorable May Day cone from the handle of a neighbor or close friend doorknob. Ring the doorbell and run!


Disposable Cup May Day Basket....

Materials Needed:
* Disposable cups (I've used both plastic and Styrofoam)
* Pipe Cleaner or ribbon (for the handle)
* Construction paper or scrapbook paper
* Scissors
* Glue Stick or tape
* Hole punch

Step 1: Chose your design. Again it can be anything you want....use your imagination! 

Step 2: Cut out your design. Last year we made bumble bees!

Step 3: Glue or tape the creation to the cup.

Step 4: Hole punch two holes across from one another.

Step 5: Using the pipe cleaner or ribbon make a handle.

Step 6: Fill with yummy treats! We filled ours with popcorn, M&M's and pretzels before placing them on a neighbors doorstep.

DIY Paper Plate Basket...

Materials Needed:
* Paper plates (I used leftover one's from my daughters birthday party which was this past January)
* Scissors
* Glue, tape or a stapler
* Ribbon

Step 1: Flip the plate over and cut four small slits into the plate (as pictured below)

Step 2: Fold the pieces inward (as pictured above and below) 

Step 4: Fold the plate into a "basket" .... it's easier than it looks!

Step 5: Tape, glue or staple the sides together....I used tape. Though glue or staples works just as well!

.

Step 6: Glue, staple or tape ribbon around the basket. Hot glue would work great here...we used a glue stick which worked well but took a little longer to dry.

Step 7: Sit back and admire your beautiful work! Then fill it with yummy treats like homemade cookies, candy or popcorn.

Step 7: Place your cute paper plate basket full of yummy treats on the door step of a family member or friend, ring the door bell, and hide behind a bush to see their reaction as they open the door.

Other May Day Basket Ideas....

* Flower Pot .... decorate or paint a flower pot. Plant in it a beautiful flower/plant (treats do not have to be something you eat!)
* Tissue Box .... cut the top off the box and decorate as you desire.
* Tin Cans....cover with decorative paper or paint it!
* A traditional store bought basket
* Recycled sour cream container, cool whip container, etc. Cover with paper and embellish!
* An empty strawberry, raspberry or blueberry container.....leave the lid on or cut it off. 

Don't forget a note so your giftee knows who took the time to make such a fun and beautiful gift for them to enjoy! 

Happy May Day!!