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Muffins and Mayhem, Recipes for a Happy (if disorderly) Life
Dear Reader,
From my May Day Email Bag:
(If you missed Monday's column, goto: http://tinyurl.com/dr042511 )
"Dear Suzanne, the May baskets you and your grandson Paul made are so cheerful and creative! When I was young, my sisters and I would spend hours making our May baskets to deliver to neighbors."--Happy May Day, Rita Rae R
"Wish I lived in your neighborhood for one of your May baskets. We don't have as many small children in our neighborhood any more but a number of us put together May baskets for each others cats & dogs with little treats & toys. It's one of those old fashioned fun things to do! Have a great day, Suzanne!"--Patty Janssen
"Suzanne, Monday's May baskets column made me smile. How lovely to open the door and find such a treasure. I have never heard of this tradition where does it come from?"--Wendy P.
(Suzanne replies:) I guess I wasn't a very inquisitive child, because when it was almost May 1st, like Rita Rae, the kids in our neighborhood made May baskets and none of us asked, "Why?"
Good thing, too, because yesterday when I researched the origins of May Day, I discovered a long and not too exciting history. For me, none of the traditions I read about were as joyful as making May baskets and hanging them on friends' and neighbors' front door handles.
Some cultures felt the first day of May divided the year in half, so they established the custom of "setting the new fire." It was their way of lending life to the new springtime sun. Men and their sweethearts walked through the smoke for good luck.
The Roman's May Day celebrations were devoted primarily to the worship of Flora, the goddess of flowers. They danced around Maypoles or they cut down a tree, lopped off most of the branches, left a few at the top, then wrapped it with violets. (Violets were one of the fresh flowers in our May baskets every year.) Then along came the Puritans who frowned on merriment, so most May Day festivities were abolished.
So there you have it, Wendy. A very incomplete, study of May Day traditions. I still don't know who actually hung the first May Day basket. But my grandson delivered three of his early, and based on the delightful responses he received, I guarantee he'll keep the tradition alive in the Beecher family.
Thanks for reading with me. It's so good to read with friends.
Suzanne Beecher
Suzanne@DearReader.com
http://www.muffinsandmayhem.com/
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