On The First Day Of May…
In March of my second grade year my family and I moved to Omaha. Only a short time after, May 1st arrived which was already a special day in our home being my Brother’s birthday. But soon we also learned of another holiday on the same day, May Day! I so clearly remember coming home from school on May 1st and finding plastic Dixie cups on our front porch filled with popcorn and twizzlers. My brother and I were ecstatic for the treats but my Mom had no idea where they came from. Despites our pleas and cries she placed them on the top of the fridge promising to find out what they were so we could have them back. Thankfully, our neighbors asked if we found our May Day treats and explained the tradition of making May Day bags for friends and then dropping at homes, ringing the doorbell and running away as they chased after you. I still remember how excited I was after they explained the holiday and my Mom who was always up for fun, immediately pulled everything out of our pantry and within minutes whipped up May Day bags! Soon we were running out the door to make our deliveries.
In college I was befuddled realizing this holiday was not celebrated everywhere and that my friends had never heard of May Day and or received a May Day bag. And so my new tradition began, of making bags for friends and now for friends and their kids ensuring they will all know and feel the joy of May Day! Over the years this has taken many forms from just delivering bags to hosting full on May Day parties and brunches. I have always filled the bags with toys and treats that remind me of my childhood because in so many ways that is what May Day is for me. A celebration of Spring but also a day that you can for no reason play and actively share in simple joys together. When the rest of the noise of your life can quiet for just a few hours and you can delight in playing with bags filled with toys and eat sweet treats together.
As someone who was raised in a home where play was not just encouraged but a part of most of our days I suppose I should not be surprised that this tradition was never lost along the way. The planning is almost therapeutic for me - everything from the hunt for the perfect items to carefully putting each bag together and making sure each child gets things in it I know they will love. And of course, nothing beats the laughter and shrieks of excitement as they find their treasures.
This year, after the year we have all survived, May Day felt especially sweet and important and once again very needed. I have been quiet for the last couple of weeks on the blog. Never quite sure what I was feeling mentally and physically so distracting myself from my thoughts felt easier than facing them. Riding the waves of my body post vaccine and also the stress of knowing the shot I received was paused four days after my injection left me with unexpected anxiety. Mindless games on my iphone or watching tv seemed safer than reflecting on my current state in writing. And once again my May Day planning was a way for me to get through these hard weeks- for me to focus on something other than how I felt or what stress I had in my life, and to simply focus on play!
It was indeed, a special day of fun celebrating, of reconnecting with friends, many I have not seen in over a year. It didn’t even matter that we had on masks, you could still see the smiles through them. I am pretty sure the entire world needs a May Day goody bag right now, and while that may be a fun challenge, I think even for me that would be a bit much. I do however, hope people will remember how healing it is to play and be silly. To let yourself feel your inner child and remember even if for a moment the delight and pure innocence that comes from seeing a brand new bottle of bubbles or new slap bracelet. And that even in these still uncertain times you not only can take a moment to be joyful and present together but in fact, you must.
On the first day of May, It's tradition to play, dropping off baskets, and running away…..
