Monday; May 1

One of my favorite traditions of May Day is the dispensing of May Baskets. Now, the term “basket” may be a bit misleading because many of the ones I received weren’t much more than a plastic cup filled with goodies. Interestingly, the thing that makes May Day so special isn’t the container – or even what was in the container – it was the generosity of the heart.

For those of you who many not be familiar with this tradition (I wasn’t until I spent some time in the Midwest), May Baskets are simple gifts left anonymously for others. The Old Farmers Almanac describes the process as “People would leave a paper basket or cone containing spring flowers and sweets on each other’s doorsteps, usually anonymously. This tradition was popular though the 19th and 20th centuries, especially with children or sweethearts. The custom was to knock on the door, yell ‘May basket!’ and then run.” Honestly, even though this tradition might be showing its age in the 21st Century, I believe the idea of giving simple anonymous gifts still has its place in modern society. In an era where the motto of “bigger is better” sometimes simple things might help us to stay centered in our lives.

Would you like to do something nice for someone today? How about putting together a half a dozen May Baskets and take off running. Not only will the thrill of trying not to get caught be exciting, the feeling of doing something nice for someone can be exhilarating!

Think About It!

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