Who remembers doing this as a kid?

[ashling]

[font size =4]
A Forgotten Tradition: May Basket Day

[/font size =4]

Maybe there really was a time when America was more innocent.

Back when May Basket Day was a thing, perhaps.

The curious custom — still practiced in discrete pockets of the country — went something like this: As the month of April rolled to an end, people would begin gathering flowers and candies and other goodies to put in May baskets to hang on the doors of friends, neighbors and loved ones on May 1.

In some communities, hanging a May basket on someone's door was a chance to express romantic interest. If a basket-hanger was espied by the recipient, the recipient would give chase and try to steal a kiss from the basket-hanger.

[mrmpa]

1. I went to Catholic School and I remember....

that May 1, was the day we crowned the statue of Mary ( I don't remember the reason why), but several 8th grade girls would be selected to crown the statue with flower and leave baskets of flowers around the statue.

[sarge43]

5. May 1st is the feast day of Mary, Queen of Heaven. nt

[mrmpa]

6. Thank you for the reminder of what it was for.......eom

[Arugula Latte]

2. My daughter and her friends still do that to neighbors.

They gather bouquets and leave them on doors and doorsteps.

[cyberswede]

7. Yep...only it's little cups with goodies like popcorn, m&m's & violets from the yard.

My daughter is 12, and this is the first year she missed giving baskets to the neighbor kids (she's sick today).

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. I remember that, though vaguely.

We had little paper baskets we put flowers in (usually dandelions and the like) and left them on neighbors' doorsteps. I can't have been more than 4 or 5; this would have been in the early '50s.

[murielm99]

4. We did that in the 1950's.

We made little paper baskets, filled them with violets and little candies, like jellybeans or mints, and popcorn. We hung them on friends' doors. They were tiny homemade baskets, more of a gesture than a huge treat.

My daughter's preschool teacher revived the tradition for her class. This was in the late 1980's. The kids enjoyed it. May Day was my day to volunteer, so I helped. Our preschool was held in a local church. We hung one on the pastor's office door. She loved it.

[Dont call me Shirley]

8. So sweet. In your OP pic is a wonderful hero and amazing role model.

[LiberalElite]

9. and integrated way before its time nt

[LiberalElite]

10. Not me -

born in the '50s but in Catholic school we said the rosary every day in May.