May Day has some deep roots in history with various meanings. In my childhood, the day was for celebrating spring and flowers, friends and loved ones. We made nosegays as an art project in class to hang on neighbors' doors.
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| Fabric nosegay cones; place a small can or bottle inside for water/live flowers |
As we discussed who'd be the recipients of our fragrant gifts, my friends and I would collect wildflowers to fill the cones as we walked home from school. We'd quietly hang them on a door, ring the bell, then run away.
We would put the first May-day basket on our mom's door. It was fun to hide behind the bushes to watch the surprised look on her face as she took the cone filled with flowers off the door, loudly exclaiming how wonderful they were as if not knowing who put them there. (wink) Next stop...the neighbor's house.
I'm sad that May Day seems to have turned into one of protests and a few unsavory disturbances, at least in many metro areas. I choose to ignore the news on this day and keep with the tradition of picking bouquets to give to friends and neighbors. All Things Homey is a wonderful blog that gives a tutorial to make tussie mussie cones in only a few short minutes once you have your supplies gathered. It is a great way to use up scrapbook paper and sewing trims that have been sitting around for years!
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| Make these quick and easy nosegay cones from the tutorial at All Things Homey |
The first of May is also time for us to plant our garden. It marks the end of killing frosts in our area, so we can finally set out our tomatoes and other warm season vegetables. I'm afraid this year the weather is a bit odd, so I'll wait another few weeks to plant the beans and corn seeds, but the flowers are more abundant than ever with the sun and rain we've been getting.
With that said, it is time to go pick those lilacs, daisies and tulips for the bouquets. I hope that you get to enjoy the fragrant blessings of this spring day!
