May Day Memories

May Day festivities in 1907 - well before my time!
By Leet Brothers (Washington, D.C.) [Public domain], via Wikimedia Commons

 With the start of gardening season I seem to be falling behind on the blog. I thought I'd just post a quick memory of May Day from my childhood. [The photo above is not from my childhood. I'm not that old! I just thought it was a charming picture.]

As I recall, each year around the first of May, the students at Bender Academy in Elizabeth were encouraged to bring in flowers to put around the statue of the Virgin Mary. There is an interesting article on Wikipedia about May Devotions to the Blessed Virgin Mary. I don't recall any special songs or prayers, like those mentioned in the article, but it was a long time ago...

Either way, with the onset of spring blooms I was sent off to school with a bouquet of spring flowers and pussy willows from my Grandpa Dixon's garden. My memory is that it offered a rare occasion to enter the Nun's area of the school, where children were not regularly allowed. There was a small chapel there, and we flower-bearers trooped in to place our flowers around the statue of Mary.

It was very quiet in that part of the building. And I remember, vaguely, that it smelled like church. If you're Catholic, you probably know just what I mean.

That's it for May Day this year! I hope it's very Spring-y wherever you are, dear reader.