Ah, the first of May is on its way - will your May basket be ready? In our town, we celebrate May Day with arrangements of cut flowers hung on our doors, competing for ribbons for the best designs. Our tradition was started by the local garden club in the 1960s, relatively recent compared to the first May Day celebrations.
May Day Celebrations: Past and Present
May Day is thought to be a combination of ancient Roman and Celtic holidays. The Roman end of April week-long festival, Floralia, was in honor of Flora, goddess of flowers and fertility. The Celtic May 1st holiday, Beltane, was a celebration of spring and the reawakening after winter. Both likely began as agricultural holidays, hoping to ensure the success of the spring planting season. As the Romans expanded into the British Isles, the celebrations eventually merged.
May Day was popular in medieval Europe, as villagers went "a-maying," gathering flowers, decorating the town, and enjoying games, dances, and pageants. The May Queen presided over events, such as dancing around the maypole, wherein participants held long ribbons attached to the pole, and wove the ribbons over, under, and around the pole as they danced, then reversing the steps to unwind. This has been said to represent the lengthening days of summer approaching.
May Day Today:
There are, however, still tales of small communities around the country that celebrate in a fashion that seems part Valentine's day and part backwards Halloween. In a charming tradition dating back to the 19th century, small baskets are fashioned out of paper cones or plastic cups with hangers attached, and filled with popcorn, small candies, and flowers. The May Day-er then surreptitiously hangs the basket on the front doorknob of the May Day-ee (those are completely unofficial terms I just made up, but you get the point). Then, the May Day-er rings the doorbell and runs away. In case you thought the fun was over at that point - oh, no! If the May Day-ee catches the May Day-er before they escape, they should kiss them. Grandmas tell of past May Days, admitting to running away a little slower from the home of a boy they liked.
Well, I think this fun should be revived - we could all use a little more sweet & gentle kindnesses in our lives. Try making up a few little May baskets with your children, and deliver them together to a few of your favorite neighbors. A few inexpensive items or little pots of flowers will provide priceless memories - and maybe all the love will spread! How fast you run is completely up to you.
Below: Our Living Wreath, here planted with cool-weather tolerant plants (violas, alyssum, iberis, pratia, and scotch moss) makes a sweet and lovely May Day display for your door.
May Day Celebrations for Gardeners:
In many regions, May Day marks the unofficial start of the gardening season. Here are some ideas to create your own May Day Celebration!
- Plant early crops or tender annuals in community gardens
- Swap seeds or plants with neighbors, or pot up and gift your perennial divisions
- Host a small garden or tea party, decorated with fresh-cut flowers like tulips, daisies, and lilacs
- Make daisy chains and flower crowns with your kids. Find instructions from Creative Green Living .
Make yours a celebration of the earth’s renewed potential—and of the shared joy in growing things together.
No matter how you mark this day, whether you’re weaving ribbons around a maypole, dropping off a daisy-filled basket, or simply planting your first seedling of the year, May Day is a celebration of life’s gentle return. As we shake off the last chill of winter and welcome the warmth, May 1st invites us all to slow down, step outside, and revel in the beauty of blooming things. So this May Day, grab a trowel, gather some blooms, and join in a tradition that’s been growing for centuries.
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