Saturday, May 01, 2010

Happy May Day


"Sweet May hath come to love us,

Flowers, trees, their blossoms don;

And through the blue heavens above us

The very clouds move on." - Heinrich Heine, Book of Songs

 

Happy May Day to one and all!

Dominic had never heard of a May Day basket, so last night I explained the joy of surprising friends and loved ones with a little treat on the first of May. I don't quite remember what we used to put in our baskets, but I do remember the thrill and joy of dropping the basket on the porches in Iowa and sprinting away before the door would swing open.

I decided to do some research on the tradition this morning and found this description:

Baskets, usually made by children, are often homemade and filled with flowers or treats. They are left anonymously at someone's doorstep or hooked over the handle or knob.

The basket giver rings the bell and runs away. The person receiving the basket tries to catch the fleeing giver. If caught, tradition said a kiss was to be exchanged.

I made this May Day basket full of Canadian tulips, chocolates and Alki Beach cinnamon rolls for our dear friends in Queen Anne today. Hopefully they heard my knock...



1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Wow, I wish you lived next door to me!
When we lived in Iowa the baskets (or often small bags with a handle) had some candy in them.

Love,
Mom