May Day
I was just watching the crowds of Hispanics on TV today, on May Day, and I started to remember the things that we did as children on May Day. We had a beautiful, large lilac tree that was always in full bloom in May. We used to cut some of the flowers and take them to the nuns in our classes. They were alway so pleased with those beautiful flowers for the May alter set up in each class. I remember that I was chosen to do the crowning of Mary during the May 1 Mass one year (probably 1st grade); the little stool that was positioned behind the large statue of Mary for me to step on was a little high for my short legs, and the stretch to put the crown of flowers on her head with both hands, without leaning on her was excruciating, but exciting. I also had some thoughts about how we 3 sisters used to set up a May alter, I believe in our bedroom, but I cannot remember where in the room it was, because there was not much room in there after the bed, a long dresser, and a tall dresser. Maybe Paulette can remember, she remembers everything.
posted by Monica @ Monday, May 01, 2006
7 comments
7 Comments:
I do indeed remember where some of the May altars were. I think Mrs. Gervais used to help Ma set them up. One year the May altar was right on the dresser top, (the shorter dresser). Most years we used that little red table that normally lived in the basement as a play table for us. It would have a beautiful cloth (probably a dresser scarf) and a statue of Mary and we put lilacs in glasses on it and in later years even had a candle or two. One year the table was set up next to the bed near the door on the wall that was common to the stairwell. Another it was set up near the closet door and another it was in the back corner, but that must have been before we got the extra bed up there.
I don't remember anything church related for May day. I remember doing some "maypole" thing with girl scouts but nothing in church.
Paulette, No wonder I couldn't remember where it was in our bedroom if it moved around each year. I cannot believe the details that you remember. I do remember that at one point there was a single bed against the opposite wall from the double bed which was set up for Rita as we grew; because Rita & I had slept at the head of the bed and you slept between us at the foot of the bed, and, at some point, you complained to Ma & Pa about waking up in the middle of the night with Rita's foot in your mouth. That's when we lost the long dresser, which was of secondary use to us, compared to an added single bed for Rita to give each of us more room with a single and a double bed for the 3 of us.
You are wrong about the single bed being for Rita. It started out being for me but I thrashed around in bed enough that Mrs Gervais complained that I knocked a picture right off her wall and after that Rita got the single bed.
OK. I have only remembered Rita in that bed, and that's probably because your tenure was very short lived.
Yes, I remember May day. I too one year was given the honor of crowning Mary at School. I was probably in 3rd or 4th grade and I seem to recall that they had the flowers already there and everyone else was pretty bored, but I thought it looked very pretty.
So three sisters sharing that room was a theme, hey. We folded blankets in half and scoped out our section of the big bed--all of us sleeping sideways on the bed. Gretchen always wanted me to sleep in the middle (the worst spot). Eventually we got a single bed in the room and that was for me, but sometimes we had to move the beds close together so that Gretchen or Erika could put their foot on me, if they got scared. One time they wanted me to sleep in their bed with them when they were scared but we were too big, so I set up a place for us to sleep on the floor which was even scarier. Pretty soon I was the only one on the floor and I went back to my bed.
The lilac tree--I loved the lilac tree. Spring was pretty special growing up. In California it's very gray.
Obtaining security by touching someone with a foot, now thats strange. Everyone knows that you are more secure when the blankets are tucked tight around you.
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