How to Celebrate May Day

May Day, celebrated on the first of May, heralds the return of sunlight and fertility after the cold gray of winter. Ancient Europeans knew it as Beltane and honored the occasion with rowdy celebrations. You can stage festivities tame enough for a 2-year-old and have just as much fun.

Difficulty: Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Ribbons
• Flowers
• Glues
• Wicker Baskets
• Wooden Poles
• Party Drinks
• Party Food
• Scissors
• Scissors
• Construction Paper
• Tacks
• Tack Hammers

1. Throw an outdoor party for the whole neighborhood.

2. Dance around the maypole, a classic Beltane symbol. To make a maypole, stick a pole in the ground - the taller the pole, the better. Fasten long, colorful ribbons to the top and let them stream down to the ground.

3. Have everyone grab the end of a streamer and skip merrily around the pole. (It helps to have some rousing English dance music playing in the background.) As you dance in one direction you'll weave the ribbons into a colorful braid; turn and go in the opposite direction and the streamers will float freely again.

4. Have the kids make May baskets, a custom that survived in many parts of the country as recently as the 1940s and 1950s. Fashion baskets from colorful paper, or buy attractive wicker ones, and fill them with flowers, candy and other small treats.

5. Sneak quietly up to the door of someone's house, hang the basket on the doorknob or leave it on the threshold, then ring the doorbell and run like mad. (Think of the May basket custom as a sort of altruistic version of trick or treat.)

6. Take a few May baskets to a nursing home, or give them to older friends and relatives who probably made them as children.

Tips & Warnings

• Small children, toddlers and adults who turn giddy with the first breath of spring cannot fathom why these delightful customs have been left to languish in the closet of obscure folklore.
• Teenagers may find maypoles and May baskets silly, embarrassing and totally uncool.

[Quickstar]

on 5/1/2009 Sounds like a fun and festive time. Thanks for sharing, the views below gave much to my amusement as well. 5*

[practicalmagic]

on 5/1/2009 May Day was always a favorite event when I was in school. Thanks for sharing what you know!

[DiscountTickets]

on 5/1/2009 I love to celebrate Cinco de Mayo.

[MyJB]

on 5/1/2009 You have presented the idea of May day as something that I can now understand. I have heard about it, but never got around to doing research. Thanks. 5

[kohuether]

on 5/1/2009 Every five years in Germany the villages replace their May pole. We happened to live in the village for a May pole year. It was fun to be part of the celebration and watch the villagers put the new pole up by hand! Great article. Brings back memories.