I feel like I always say this toward the end of each month, but I can’t believe how quickly this year is flying by. I can’t believe it’s almost May 1st!! So today I want to share with you one of my favorite traditions that very few people have ever heard of–the tradition of the May Day Basket. I first heard of this tradition years ago when I read the children’s book “Jack and Jill” by Louisa May Alcott. But the act of giving baskets filled with flowers on May 1st dates back much further.
May Day Baskets can be traced back centuries to ancient spring festivals celebrating fertility, renewal, and the beauty of nature. In Europe, May 1st was often marked by maypoles, dancing, and the crowning of a May Queen, and in Celtic countries it was celebrated as the pagan festival known as Beltane. As time went on, the early Catholic Church adopted these traditions and declared May to be the month to honor Mary, the mother of Jesus. A month that included many church festivities that fused with secular ones. When these celebrations crossed the Atlantic, they transformed into more intimate gestures, particularly in New England, where both religious and secular communities adopted this sweet custom, but made it less religious and more about the joy of Spring.
By the 19th century in America, the idea of making small baskets filled with flowers, candies, or handwritten notes and secretly delivering them to neighbors, friends, or sweethearts became a beloved May Day ritual. The game was played by leaving a basket on someone’s doorstep, ringing the bell, and running before being caught. Even Eleanor Roosevelt received May Day Baskets from young children who visited the White House.
This tradition was going strong in the U.S. until the Civil War. During the war, many favorite festivities ceased (for obvious reasons) and the tradition of May Day Baskets slipped away… until 1880. That’s when Louisa May Alcott, already a beloved American author, wrote her children’s novel Jack and Jill. In this sweet book, Alcott included a lovely scene that describes May Day mischief and joy in New England:
“Such a twanging of bells and rapping of knockers; such a scampering of feet in the dark; such droll collisions as boys came racing round corners, or girls ran into one another’s arms as they crept up and down steps on the sly; such laughing, whistling, flying about of flowers and friendly feeling—it was almost a pity that May-day did not come oftener.” … from Jack and Jill, by Louisa May Alcott.
This vivid passage captures the giddy excitement and communal spirit around the custom of May Day Baskets. For Alcott, who grew up in 19th Century Concord, Massachusetts (a time and town steeped in transcendentalist ideals and a deep love of nature), the traditions of May Day weren’t just quaint customs. They were expressions of friendship, innocence, and the kind of joy found in simple pleasures.
Today, the art of the May Day Basket has faded from mainstream celebration, but I believe it should be revived. In a world overwhelmed by digital noise and fast-paced schedules, the act of crafting a small gift with your own hands and delivering it in secret to a friend or family member, or anyone else who needs cheering up, carries a timeless charm. Whether it’s a paper cone of fresh garden flowers or a basket of treats for a neighbor or friend, May Day Baskets offer a gentle way to make our communities happier and fill them with joy.
So how does one make a May Day Basket? Gather some blossoms in a basket, maybe add a small treat like a homemade cookie or a tin of your favorite tea, tie a ribbon, and surprise someone with a little kindness. As Louisa May Alcott says, “… it was almost a pity that May-day did not come oftener.”
