May Day
THE FESTIVAL OF MAY DAY
By Heather Whisner, Cherry Blossom Assistant Teacher & Woodland Garden Teacher
May 1 falls between the Spring equinox and the Summer solstice, marking the end of winter and the height of Spring. The origins of the May Day holiday can be traced back to Roman celebrations held at the end of April in honor of Flora, the goddess of flowers. In modern times, this day is well known for its Maypole dances and crowning the “Queen of the May”. Other traditions include May Baskets, which are small baskets filled with flowers that are delivered in secret to neighbor's doors.
The maypole is a tall wooden pole erected with long colored ribbons hanging from the top and decorated with greenery and flowers. Dancers skip around the pole, weaving the ribbons into a spiral or elaborate pattern that is briefly seen before disappearing as the dance is reversed. This festival is an opportunity to revel in the beauty of the natural world, and of the greater woven tapestry that connects us all.
May Day songs
MAY DAY FESTIVITIES
Flower Crowns
Click through for ideas from Emma Maruska, Handwork Teacher
May Day Baskets
By Heather Whisner, Cherry Blossom Assistant Teacher & Woodland Garden Teacher
A lovely May Day custom is to make a basket of flowers for a neighbor or friend and hang them at their door secretly early in the morning (or anytime). They will discover a beautiful springtime gift when they open their door! Here is a simple craft that can be made with just a few materials.
Materials:
1 sheet of stiff paper (construction paper, or perhaps one of your child’s drawings; or double up thinner paper if that is all you have on hand)
Stapler & staples, glue or tape
Scissors
Cord, ribbon or yarn
Flowers
Roll the sheet of paper into a cone. Staple, glue or tape it into place. Trim any excess paper to your desired shape and length.
Using the hole punch, place two holes in the cone, a little ways apart or opposite each other. Tie and secure string ends into the holes to create the handle.
Gather some beautiful flowers from your yard or garden and place them in the cone.
May Day Chocolate Cake Recipe (Vegan)
By Heather Whisner, Cherry Blossom Assistant Teacher & Woodland Garden Teacher
This is a very quick and simple chocolate cake! If you'd like a layered cake, make two and double the amount of frosting. To decorate, you will need a chopstick (or a similar length of a thin twig) and thin ribbons or yarn (in rainbow colors, or whatever you have on hand). You can also decorate with fresh flowers you have gathered (borage, dandelions, violets, etc).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8 x 8 inch cake pan (round, if you have one). Sift and whisk together dry ingredients into a large bowl:
1 ½ c. all purpose flour
1c. sugar
6 Tbsp. unsweetened cocoa
1 tsp baking soda
⅛ tsp sea salt
Combine and add:
1c. cold water
¼ c. vegetable oil
1 Tbsp. white vinegar
2 tsp. vanilla extract
Stir ingredients until smooth. Scrape batter into the greased pan and spread evenly. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the middle comes out clean, about 25-30 minutes. Set the cake aside to cool completely.
Once your cake is cooled, frost the top. If you are making a double layer cake, also frost between layers. Make your favorite frosting or try one of these:
Whipped Cream Frosting:
Whisk together until desired thickness:
1 cup of heavy whipping cream (vegan: use a can of coconut milk that has been chilled overnight and scoop out the thick cream at the top, leaving behind the liquid)
2 tbsp maple syrup or powdered sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Butter Frosting:
Whisk together until thick and smooth.
6 tbsp. butter (dairy or non-dairy), room temperature
1 cup powdered sugar
optional: 6 tbsp. cocoa
if frosting is too thick: 2 to 3 tbsp heavy cream or coconut cream
To make your May Pole decoration:
Measure the distance from the center of the cake to the edge.
Using the measurement and adding a bit extra for tying on both ends, cut 6-8 strands of yarn or ribbons. Tie the ribbons one at a time to the top of the pole, or use a tack to secure them at the top. Tie a toothpick to the end of each ribbon.
Place the chopstick firmly into the center of the cake and evenly place the toothpicks around the edge of the cake.
Decorate with fresh flowers if you’d like. Enjoy!