News
A history of May Day in Bottineau County
Scott Wagar
04/28/2015
On Friday, the country will have a holiday to celebrate; however, even though it is a day of celebration that individuals remember in our nation, it is a holiday that people seldom observe like they did at one time in the U.S.
Friday will be May Day, a day to celebrate spring which dates back to the ancient times. May Day is a day for dancing, singing, gift baskets and a skip around the May Pole.
May Day in our nation has been celebrated since the origins of the country in one way or another. However, since the 20th Century the celebration of spring through this holiday has declined.
Within Bottineau County, May Day activities played an important role in the community. From creating costumes out of crepe paper, to songs and dances, to quietly placing a May Day basket on front stoops, Bottineau residents for many years in the early to mid-1900s participated in these May Day events.
When it came to May Day in the county, it wasn’t unusual for school age children and their parents to create costumes out of crepe paper for May Day events. And, they were no ordinary costumes, but costumes made with the brightest colors, with added décor of crepe paper flowers or butterflies, which were placed on their costumes to make them stand out while performing.
The kids also sang and danced to traditional May Day songs; but the most celebrated tradition of this spring time holiday was making and giving May Day baskets to a neighbor, a classmate or even to that special person in an individual’s life.
The tradition of May baskets were to place flowers, candy or both into a basket the night before May Day; and then, the children would deliver their May Day baskets to the front steps of a friends or neighbors’ houses. Once the basket was placed on the door step, the children would ring or knock on the door and then make a quick get away before the person came to the door to find their gift basket.
May baskets are well documented in “I Remember, I Remember,” and historical book of county residents’ memories, which was published during Bottineau County’s centennial.
“The first flowers that bloomed in the spring were soft blue lavender May flowers. My mother would help me make baskets out of catalog pages and flour paste,” wrote Myrtle Bush of Westhope. “Then we would fill them with wild flowers.”
“We located patches of flowers for our May baskets. We made our baskets from heavy construction paper, tied a bow on the handle, arranged the wild flowers, and placed our individually wrapped pieces of homemade candy in the center. Now they were ready to hang on the front door of our best friends and neighbors,” said Helen Scott Hillman. “To be successful, it must be done without being seen. So, we would hang the baskets; ring the door bells and the run as fast as we could around the corner.”
The tradition was that if the givers of the baskets were caught delivering them, they would have to be kissed by the person who caught the gift giver.
As the tradition grew, school children, patients at the local hospital or the elderly were given the baskets.
Another event was called the Maypole dance, which was also a very popular tradition during this festival day. It called for young school children to skip around a pole, and, in and around themselves with the kids holding a piece of colorful crepe paper. As they went around the pole, the children sang songs until their crepe papers were wrapped entirely around the pole.
Historically, it is not certain if Maypole events played an important part in the county’s celebration of the day. More than likely, it probably did, but evidence seems to be lacking if it did or not in Bottineau County.
Like the nation, May Day festivities in the late 1900s in Bottineau County began to decline, too. However, in the community today you can still find individuals and schools that continue on with the traditions of this spring day celebration.
However, its activities have begin to disappear in the community more and more each year; but, that is not to say the tradition shouldn’t start up again to give the city’s residents a moment to celebrate spring and feel some warmth in their hearts with a basket filled with love and kindness.