Maybe I’ll find millions of dollars like the couple out in California did last year. Maybe the light will dawn in people’s lives and we’ll all get along with each other. Maybe the news coming from the television will be only good. And then, again…maybe not. You see, this is May 1 and if there is one little insect that is busily flying today, it is the May Bee.
The May Bee is probably a very old belief started by our ancestors who wanted to lighten up this old world with a bit of fun. Just as is the custom of the May basket and the May pole.
Medieval people put a great deal of stock in celebrating May 1. Winter was over and winter for them could be pretty rough, cold, uncomfortable and dreary. They were happy to see spring arrive. (So am I.)
This verse is sometimes attributed to Chaucer, whether or not he wrote it:
And furth goth all the Court, both most and lest,
To feche the floures fressh, and braunche and blome;
And namly, hawthorn brought both page and grome.
With fressh garlandes, partie blewe and whyte,
And thaim rejoysen in their greet delyt.
(We could look on the spellings as a May Day challenge.)
When I taught at Grand View, many years ago, our PE teacher showed the children how to wind the May pole with a little dance and music. It was pretty, colorful, and everybody loved it.
At Etta, when Mom was a child, they made paper baskets; on May 1 they filled them with wildflowers, and knocked on Aunt Etta and Uncle George’s door. Then they hid and watched as Aunt Etta opened the door and found her pretty surprise basket.
Whether we attend a spring celebration or not, it is fun to answer questions with “Maybe.” And this is one day we can get away with it!
http://pen-l.com/Mystery.html
http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias%3Ddigital-text&field-keywords=blanche%20day%20manos&sprefix=blanc%2Cdigital-text
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