Sunday, May 1, 2011

May Day: A Sordid Little Tale



It's May Day today. I remembered when I saw an image of this Wyeth painting and the little tradition we had while growing up came to mind. You might have grown up with this one too: small homemade baskets filled with candy, tied with ribbon and left on neighbor's doorsteps. You ring the doorbell, then run. Ours went something like that but with a country twist of more knocking than ringing. Most folks we knew didn't have a doorbell. There was also some kissing involved that may or may not have been traditional.

This is how it happened in my neck of the woods: a small basket made of construction paper, decorated with crayon colored flowers and tied with ribbon you curl with a pair of scissors (rather poorly if memory serves me), put some candy inside and there you have it. We would make up a few of these, drive around to various neighbors who were often our cousins, leave it on their doorstep and run like hell, hoping (usually) that we wouldn't get caught and thus kissed. This sounds like a Jeff Foxworthy joke, but, sadly, it's not.

The only May Day I recall with anything close to clarity was when we drove over to a neighbors a bit further away. My brother who was ten years older than I and the oldest of my siblings had a girlfriend who for reasons left to the distant past was at the wheel. Let me just say, sometimes the older kids liked to torture the younger kids. Such was the case on this May Day.

This is how it all went down: we drove up their long driveway (didn't everybody have a long driveway back then?), and parked the car. Then, my sister and I with much trepidation stepped out with basket in hand. The boy inside was pudgy and wore glasses. He also liked to tease and we were pretty certain he would try to kiss us if caught. Scary stuff.

We knew what had to be done. We would set the basket on the steps and immediately be on the run, hightailing it back to the car as fast as our sturdy little mid-western legs could carry us.

There was just one glitch. When we got to the car my brother's girlfriend had locked all the doors making it impossible to get back inside and make our getaway. We could see her laughing as we tried to open every door, keeping the boy who was now in hot pursuit as far away as possible. Round and round the car we went until all hope was gone. He caught me and planted a kiss on my cheek. Nothing too disturbing, right?  Wrong. I was not happy. When I was allowed back in the car I sat in the back seat seething. I could do seething pretty well back then.

So, that's my May Day basket story, sordid little tale that it is. I won't be making any deliveries this year but may I say, ahem, a Happy May Day to you all. Let's pretend that I'm leaving a basket on each of your doorsteps. Then I'll pretend to be running away, wondering if the car doors are locked.





Andrew Wyeth   "May Basket"

24 comments:

  1. I think a May Day basket is a good idea, the surprise part of it anyway, who wouldn't want to receive a little anonymous gift that's hand made. Sorry about your sordid day, but then it's food for writing later in life. Happy May Day to you and thanks for the imaginary gift you left for me on my doorstep I didn't even hear the doorbell ring.

    ReplyDelete
  2. How sweet! And also that would have been worth a seeth or two as you did. We never had anything like May baskets, but I also hand you a virtual one and thank you for not locking your doors. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hello Teresa:
    We very nearly caught you, but not quite!

    The tradition of leaving baskets of sweets on doorsteps on May Day is completely new to us and sounds absolutely delightful that is, of course, if you are able to escape unmolested! The encounter with the nasty, little, podgy boy must have been fairly gruesome to have remained with you.

    We very much hope that your brother's girlfriend of the time did not, subsequently, become your sister-in-law!

    ReplyDelete
  4. What A Great Tradition! We Have Nothing Like That Here In England! I'm Listening For The Knock On My Door Right Now!!

    ReplyDelete
  5. Teresa, today is Lei Day in Hawaii,,,:-)

    ReplyDelete
  6. Made me think of sugary popcorn and violets added for color. I enjoyed the delivery, but like you didn't want to get caught.I am headed out to drop a few today.I filled plastic cups.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Hi Linda, It's amazing, what pops out of the old noggin as food for thought. Our childhoods are ripe for the picking.

    DJan, No locked doors. :)

    Jane and Lance, Gruesome, yes, that pretty much covers it, with a wry smile attached. No, she did not become my sister in-law, but I do see her now and then and have nothing but fond feelings for her. A good lady.

    Tony, Knock, Knock...

    I just realized there might be a knock, knock joke in there. You have those across the pond?

    Paul, I think I'll just leave that alone.... :)

    Steve, I'm so glad! The tradition lives here in the mid-west! Plastic cups? Say it ain't so! Next year, I want to hear of construction paper and paper mache flowers. :)

    ReplyDelete
  8. Such a sweet story Teresa!

    Happy May to you my friend!
    xo Catherine

    ReplyDelete
  9. So funny! We had nothing like that here. Now, of course, that sort of behaviour among kids would probably spark sexual harrassment and emotional trauma lawsuits :)))

    ReplyDelete
  10. Catherine, A Happy May to you, as well!

    Li, It would spark an outrage among certain circles. :) Perhaps these are more enlightened times, but over-reacting seems to be the order of the day all too often. Glad you found the humor in it, as intended.

    ReplyDelete
  11. Was never too big on May Day. It was probably the basket thing. I do like a good story though.

    ReplyDelete
  12. One Fly, I hope this qualifies.... :)

    ReplyDelete
  13. Yes - but of course it does.

    ReplyDelete
  14. Thank you. I just let the line out a little... :)

    ReplyDelete
  15. Teresa, honey, you don't have to leave a basket filled with the colorful joy of spring; you are a basket of colorful spring flowers.

    ReplyDelete
  16. And you, dear Cletis, are a gentleman and a scholar.... thank you ;)

    ReplyDelete
  17. Very sweet, Teresa! I'll never forget when my husband and I moved from New England back (for me) to MN, somebody at work started talking about May Day baskets and Aaron had never heard of such a thing! He thought everyone was making it up just to try to fool him!

    ReplyDelete
  18. Kristy, So nice to hear from you. It's a rather quaint little tradition. I think it may have sprung from 4-H, another tradition that almost seems quaint now, although I'm sure it's still quite active.

    ReplyDelete
  19. What comes to my mind was the annual May Day parade in Moscow when Russia celebrated their armaments during the Cold War. Your little tradition is so much more appealing, despite the trauma you endured.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Paul C, Hilarious! I love it! Oh thank you for a great laugh. Well-played.

    ReplyDelete
  21. I agree with Djan. No may baskets in my life either. BTW...made you new blog of the day.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Happy May Day to you Teresa!! Sorry I'm a bit late. xo

    ReplyDelete
  23. It's never too late... :) Thank you. xo

    ReplyDelete