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Saturday, May 01, 2010

Happy May Day

Is this cute or what? Could you ask for a sweeter May Day basket?  And, look at the happy little messenger!

                                                                                      (Image by Pat Wendt - NAPP)

 Just a little trivia for you.  According to Wikpedia - - - - - - The earliest May Day celebrations appeared in pre-Christian, with the festival of Flora, the Roman Goddess of flowers, and the Walpurgis Night celebrations of the Germanic countries. It is also associated with the Gaelic Beltane. Many pagan celebrations were abandoned or Christianized during the process of conversion in Europe. A more secular version of May Day continues to be observed in Europe and America. In this form, May Day may be best known for its tradition of dancing the Maypole and crowning of the Queen of the May. Various Neopagan groups celebrate reconstructed (to varying degrees) versions of these customs on May 1. The day was a traditional summer holiday in many pre-Christian European pagan cultures. While February 1 was the first day of Spring, May 1 was the first day of summer; hence, the summer solstice on June 25 (now June 21) was Midsummer. In the Roman Catholic tradition, May is observed as Mary's month, and in these circles May Day is usually a celebration of the Blessed Virgin Mary. In this connection, in works of art, school skits, and so forth, Mary's head will often be adorned with flowers in a May crowning. Fading in popularity since the late 20th century is the giving of "May baskets," small baskets of sweets and/or flowers, usually left anonymously on neighbours' doorsteps.

I remember as a child, leaving May Day baskets at the neighbors door. It always was fun to run away before anyone would see us.


The following website entry on the May Day 2008 events in Devon, England provides some nice history and May Day photos. It  is simply great. I do not want to infringe on copyright laws. So, just check it out. You will not be disappointed.  http://melindaschwakhofer.wordpress.com/2008/05/03/may-day/  Be sure to scroll down to see the maypole "fibre art-in-motion".

Wishing you a Happy Day - - - Healthy and Warmer month of May, with no rain or snow!

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Some Additional Special Photos

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Mother's Day 2012

Mother's Day 2012

Happy Family (2014)

Happy Family (2014)
Grandma Pride

Valentine's Day 2013

Valentine's Day 2013

High School (1957) Friends Of Mine On The Left Live In New York and We Met In Canada In 2011

High School (1957) Friends Of Mine On The Left Live In New York and We Met In Canada In 2011

Bud Mietz

Bud Mietz
1928 - 2014