Springtime Holidays

Spring can be a hard time of year. I know we're already a month or so in at this point, but we still need something to keep us going - distract us, if you will - until summer pushes its way through.

MAY DAY/BELTANE: Apr. 30th-May 1st

Let's kick it off with May Day.

What is May Day? Why do we celebrate it? 

April 30th/May 1st is the halfway point between spring and summer. Some folks call it May Day, some folks call it Beltane. Beltane is the Gaelic festival that marks the beginning of summer, fertility, and renewal.

We can light bonfires to warm the earth, dance around a maypole with a crown of flowers, and give our neighbors secret gifts of treats and trinkets.

Perhaps you can start your own May Day/Beltane family tradition and crown a member as May Queen or Green Man for the day. 

What would you choose for your mid-spring meal? Something fresh like a just-caught fish? A rump roast for your feast? How about some deviled eggs and finger sandwiches for a light and casual snack?

No matter how or what you decide to celebrate, do it with friends and/or family. Surround yourself with people you love and give it your own new name. Make it a yearly tradition, so you have it to look forward to after Easter. 

MOTHER'S DAY: May 10th

I shouldn't have to remind ANYONE what Mother's Day is about. If your mother is long since passed, celebrate a mother you think deserves a little extra praise this year. Celebrate your mother-friends and family members. It doesn't just have to be for your own.  Moms of all shapes and sizes need a little appreciation reminder every now and then when we're raising littles. They tend to get lost in the mix. 

Buy that woman flowers! If she doesn't like flowers, get her some chocolate! If she doesn't like chocolate...I don't know, get her a pickle. No matter what kind of treat you give, make sure you add a little note, thank you, or some kind of nod to her hard work.

GET OUTSIDE AND PLAY DAY: May 26th

Get your butt outside and play!

Who cares how old you are? Just do something in the sunshine today. Take a walk, ride a bike, have a picnic. If you're anywhere near the Sheyenne National Grasslands, take a cruise down those dirt trails and collect a bouquet of wildflowers. Put on your Sunday best and get some family photos out in nature.

Play tag with your kids, hide and seek with the family, throw water balloons at your neighbors! They'll get over it eventually. Have a barbecue, plant some new flowers, photograph some interesting bugs. 

There are so many possibilities around our area where you can spend your time. Hop the border and hike at Sica Hollow. Visit Fort Abercrombie. Go down to the river and fish for the afternoon. Cruise the Valley Road outside of Lisbon and make your way to Fort Ransom, where you can make a few stops at the historical sites and learn something about the area. Slattum Cabin is one of my favorites.

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If you've searched high and low and have run out of things to celebrate, make up your own holiday! My daughter and I celebrate Burt Murphey Day on June 6th. It's an entirely made-up holiday with a ridiculous and very unimportant backstory that I will get into at a later time. The point is this: you don't need something designated already to celebrate. Life is the celebration. Go out and find something that makes you laugh, makes you smile, makes you go "we should do this every year," and then celebrate it! 

From your barefoot Bohemian,

Ms. Mary