May Baskets

Do you know May Baskets?  When I was a  kid in elementary school, May Baskets were a really big thing.  They seem to be one of those quaint traditions that have faded over time.

May 1st is May Basket Day.  In my childhood, if the 1st happened to land on a school day, the last hour of our classroom time was reserved for making May Baskets.  The baskets were usually made with construction paper, although any type of paper would work.  I remember making one of my baskets with notebook paper then using crayons to color the individual lines to make it look like a rainbow.  Once you completed the basket, you filled it with flowers and a few pieces of candy.

I don't really remember where I got the candy I placed in the May Baskets.  I suppose the task of accumulating the candy began weeks ahead of the big day.  On the way home from school, I found flowers growing wild, or broke off sprigs of flowering bushes, to place in each basket.

The tradition was to approach the recipient's front door without being seen and quietly place the basket, usually hanging it on the front door knob.  Next, you knock on the door and yell out, "May Basket!" then run away as fast as you can.  I don't know about others, but I always waited behind a tree or a bush to see the look of surprise and happiness on the face of the one receiving the basket.

Yesterday, in the late afternoon, I had one of those rare moments when both my remaining brain cells came together to form a coherent thought.  How fun it would be to make a May Basket to gift my favorite person here at 4 Seasons.  (No names necessary, you know who you are.)

Unfortunately, I didn't have any construction paper, or even any notebook paper, to make a basket.  But the one thing there is plenty of here in the park is palm fronds.  Why not use those to make a basket?  I told consort of my plan and he offered to tackle the chore of finding the perfect frond.  When he returned with a good-sized leaf, I set to work weaving a basket.

I stripped the leaves from the stalk and soaked them until they were pliable.  Once they were flexible, I began to weave them into a mat.  I did not take basket-weaving in college, contrary to popular belief, so I really had no idea what I was doing.  It turned out to be a lot like a puzzle.  The most difficult part was getting the last strips tucked into the right spots to make a finished product.  I secured the loose ends with a stapler.  I will now be adding a stapler to my short list of necessary household items; you know the list, the one with duct tape and a hot glue gun.

I was pleased with the results, (pictured above) and charmed by the cheer this little basket brought the recipient.  Perhaps, from time to time, it's good to dust off old traditions and polish them up for the future.