May Basket Day

May Basket Day

Noel Laflin

4-30-15

What has become of the May 1^st tradition of placing a homemade flower basket on a neighbor’s doorstep, ringing the bell and running away so as not to be caught in the act of kindness and remembrance?

I read that it is still practiced here and there; mostly there I suppose – as I have not witnessed the act since my sister and I last rang and ran in our old Anaheim neighborhood some fifty years ago. We lived on Flower Street which, in retrospect, now seems aptly named.

But, it was something that our mother taught us to do.  She first introduced us to the now-faded tradition back in the early 1960’s.  At her urging, we made flower baskets for older neighbors. And, they were appreciative as I recall.  But then, they remembered the tradition as it had already been around for nearly a hundred years.  It was a hold-over from simpler and more arguably neighborly times.

Maybe one of these days I’ll find a May Day basket on my own door step.

 

I will know a couple of  things then.

First:  Someone will have told their kids about a simpler, more neighborly time and near-lost tradition.

Secondly:  I will officially be old.

Well, one out of two would suit me just fine.

Happy May Day.

Post Script: A beautiful bouquet of flowers was delivered to my door this first day of  May, 2015.  There was a note attached apologizing that it was not a homemade basket. The sender remains anonymous - just as it should be.