May Basket

When I was a child in northern Maine we used to make May Baskets.

At the end of April every year, Harry Hart would stock up on colored tissue paper in his general store at the foot of Cherry Hill.

He would lay these colored papers out on the table for a few days and we would buy a few sheets for pennies.

The tradition was that boys made these baskets, put a chocolate candy in the bottom, and hung them on favorite girl;s doors. They would knock on the door and when the girls appeared they would run down the street.

The girls would chase them, and when chey caught them, give them a kiss.

The baskets are relatively easy to make.

Place one sheet of paper on top of the other.

Fold across as shown below

Cut the end off as shown. The rectangle will be cut into strips for the handle

Fold the large triangle into a smaller triangle

and again

Makr one last fold as shown below

Cut back and forth starting about 2 inches from the point.

Don't cut all the way across

Continu cutting in opposite directions towards the top being careful not to cut all the way acroos

Carefully infold the cut paper

Pick the paper up and invert in on your index finger

Cut two strips of the paper and fold them back and forth across each other to make a handle.

The handle

Attach the handle, place a chocolate candy in the bottom, and voila! a May Basket

I have been making these baskets for Cissy O'Shea every year for at least 15 years.

Happy May Day, Cissy!