May Day

When I was a little girl, May Day was still a holiday. I remember early in my elementary years seeing the Maypole dance at school assemblies as party of the May Day celebrations.

When I was in kindergarten, we lived in a house that was lined with lilac trees. One May Day, my mother got little woven baskets, cut lilacs and arranged them in the baskets, then gave them to us to deliver to the neighbors. We carried the baskets over, put them on the doorstep, rang the doorbell, and ran.

I haven't seen a Maypole dance since early elementary. I certainly don't see a tradition of delivering flowers, nor do any advertisers push it. All of the advertisements are about Mother's Day now.

May Day isn't a holiday. It's a cry of distress for pilots.