May Day is a wonderful day to celebrate the fact that spring is in full bloom. May Day has been celebrated for hundreds of years, mostly in Europe. Gather your children and friends and make this a fun day to celebrate the warmer days ahead.
• Construct simple May Day baskets and hang them on your friend’s and neighbor’s doors. You can find simple baskets at the dollar store or if you are feeling extra creative you can construct paper baskets. Go to your local farmer’s market and collect spring flowers. Do you have a field near your home where you can harvest some wildflowers? You can also make paper flowers to reside in the paper baskets. You are only limited by your imagination.
• Some children might be interested in creating May crowns adorned with flowers or artifacts of spring. They can be simple paper or braided with beautiful fibers. The children may wear these crowns throughout May Day while delivering flowers or dancing around the May pole.
• Prepare a May pole. The May pole can be as extravagant as you please. If you are including children in the festivities make sure the pole rises above their heads. Attach streamers and balloons to the pole. When you or the children dance around the May pole they each take hold of a streamer. Sometimes the May pole is used in a small parade. At the end of the parade, the pole is centered in a particular spot.
• After your May Day festivities invite your friends and children in for a light lunch of cucumber sandwiches, lemonade, and homemade cookies. The simplicity of these foods reminds us of the springtime.
• Then, do your part to help the Earth by planting flowers, trees, and bushes (if you are able to in your climate). Dig up old weeds, do some raking or hoeing, and make space for new spring life. Are you planting a vegetable garden? Are your seeds started? Visit the garden store with your children and introduce them to different varieties of vegetables, flowers, bushes, and trees. What inspires them? What are they drawn to?
May Day is a wonderful reminder that celebrating spring and rebirth is so important to us. Rebirth gives us that feeling of hope and renewal. These simple yet fun May Day ideas are sure to get you started and on the right path.