52 Weeks of Neighboring - 4/29

Neighboring Tip of the Week - Deliver a May Day basket to your neighbors.

Ready or not, here May comes! As the month of April wraps up, we’re looking forward to the first day of the new month - May Day!

May Day is an older tradition, but we’re bringing it back for the sake of neighboring. Typically, a May Day basket includes flowers (courtesy of April showers) and the basket is left on the front porch or hung on the door handle. Your older neighbors will probably appreciate the revival of this forgotten tradition, while your younger neighbors may have to Google it.

Don’t have access to flowers in your yard? Instead, you can include some sweet treats or maybe a couple of small toys if your neighbors have kids. As per tradition, you can leave your May Day basket anonymously, kind of like a friendly ding-dong-ditch, or leave a note with your name.

However, we suggest using your May Day basket in order to have a conversation. When delivering your May Day basket, attempt to stick around to see who’s home instead of simply leaving it. If your neighbor isn’t in the mood to chat, that’s okay! Introduce yourself, deliver your basket, and wish them a happy May Day. If your neighbor is feeling chatty, you have a great opportunity for some good conversation and to get to know your neighbor a little better.

Note: This is a kid-friendly activity! Click on this link to view a short interview with our neighbor about her childhood experience delivering May Day baskets.

Happy neighboring!