May 1st, known as May Day, is a celebration of the return of spring.  You may have remembered as a child making paper “May Day Baskets” in school and putting paper flowers  (or dandelions and violets) in them.  Perhaps you put the small basket on a neighbor’s doorstep or gave them to your mother.  This is a very old European celebration and most likely had to do with ancient agricultural rituals.  On this day there also may be Maypole Dances with bright colored ribbons and a crowning of  a “Queen of May”.  Most often, baskets of flowers were given anonymously.

While the picture of the flowers are not in a basket and you know where they came from, I still wanted to take time to say “Happy May Day,”  hoping spring has returned and that we will have better times ahead.

Sincerely,

Janice McHenry