May Day tradition spreads joy, connects neighbors

SEELEY LAKE – "We used to run up and down the street as kids and hang [May Day Baskets] on all the old people's doors, ring the bell and run," said Cheri Thompson, member of the Mountain Lakes Presbyterian Worship Ministry Team. "It was just a really fun memory that [our local] children didn't have."

In an effort to continue reaching out to the community, the Worship Ministry Team decided to put together bags filled with craft materials and fresh flowers for students in the area to participate in the May Day tradition.

May Day, celebrated May 1, dates back to medieval Europe and was known as a festival of flowers and a day to celebrate spring coming.

"The calendar says spring comes March 21 but for people that live in the north, May 1 feels much more like the beginning of spring," said Thompson.

Thompson and her husband Steve came up with the idea to provide all the materials for children in the area to participate in the tradition she loved as a child. Not only did it offer an art project to students who may not be getting a lot of art through remote learning, it also reached out to two groups who are struggling the most, the children who are missing their friends and the senior shut-ins who can't have visitors.

"Hopefully the kids would interact with their neighbors while practicing social distancing," said Thompson.

The Worship Ministry Teams filled 175 bags with an instruction sheet including ideas for making different May Day Baskets, construction paper to make a "basket," ribbon and paper cutout flowers and butterflies. All the materials were things Thompson already had in her art studio.

Wednesday morning Thompson joined owner of ReMarkable Floral Ruthie Mizner-Welch and made 175 bundles of carnations, leather leaf and baby's breath that were added to the bags.

Thursday, April 30 children in Greenough and Seeley Lake received a bag with materials and instructions on how to make a colorful handmade May Day basket. They were encouraged on May 1 to sneak up to a neighbor's front door, leave the basket on the porch or door handle, ring the bell or knock and then run and hide to see their surprise.

With the 17 bags that were not picked up, Thompson made up the baskets and sent them out to the Meals on Wheels recipients Friday to help brighten their day.

"The idea was to spark an inspiration and use what they have," said Thompson who hopes the children will continue the tradition next year.