Happy May Day!  Have you ever danced around a May pole or made May baskets?  I don’t ever remember doing it, but these are two traditions associated with May 1st or May Day.  In ancient times this was a Celtic cross-quarter day which marked the midway point between the spring equinox and summer solstice (think March 15 and June 15).  It was a time to celebrate spring and the beginning of summer.

Forty-five years ago our neighbor and her two little girls would make paper baskets and fill them with popcorn, candy, and flowers.  She would drive around to houses in the neighborhood (we lived in a rural area where the houses were far apart).  The girls would hang the baskets on the door, ring the bell and run back to the car.  Surprise is part of the tradition.  Our two boys were the same age as the girls and they often had play dates so we were surprised and pleased by the baskets.  The next year I knew they were coming so we greeted them at the door.  It was so sweet to see the exchange.  This went on for only another year or two because they all grew up and went to school.  I like to think of the tradition as a random act of kindness.  Another part of May Day celebrations was prayer for the growth and fertility of all living things.  Prayer for farmers and their crops.

So, on this May Day why don’t we try to perform a random act of kindness and pray for farmers and their crops.  Read Psalm 150 and praise and thank God for his unconditional love.  Hallelujah!

Nancy