May Day: A Celebration of Spring
BY Alison Wiebe
Welcome in the merry month of May with a lavish May Day menu and celebration featuring fresh spring produce and plenty of edible flowers!
The ancient spring festival known today as May Day has roots going back thousands of years and in many different cultures. The Ancient Romans honoured the flowers of spring, and the goddess who presides over them, at the Floralia. In the Germanic tradition, Walpurgisnacht is celebrated on May eve. But it is from the ancient Celtic festival of Beltane that many of the May Day traditions we know today came from.
This ancient fertility festival would have had serious implications for our ancestors. They believed that only by performing these sacred rites would their crops be fruitful. There are remnants of these ancient rites in modern May Day celebrations. These traditions include dancing the maypole, making flower crowns, and leaping over bonfires. Presiding over the festivities each year is the May Queen. Celebrate this beloved springtime festival as we leave the winter months behind and look forward to the warmth of summer!
O, the month of May, the merry month of May,
So frolic, so gay, and so green, so green, so green!
O, and then did I unto my true love say,
. . . thou shalt be my Summer's Queen.
- Thomas Dekker
Celebrating May Day has become an annual tradition for me and is eagerly anticipated by friends and family. Each year my May Day menu includes fresh spring produce, vibrant greens, and plenty of edible flowers. Here is a collection of my favourite spring inspired recipes that are perfect for a May Day feast!
May Day Menu
Floral Cocktails
The May Queen Floral Cocktail. In honour of the May Queen, this cocktail is infused with four different flowers as a true celebration of spring!
Sweet woodruff has long been used to flavour May Day wine. Its delicate aroma with a hint of vanilla imparts a unique flavour to this Sweet Woodruff Cocktail.
Cheesy Appetizers
Cheesy appetizers are always a hit! Crispy fried goat cheese balls dripping with sweet honey and a dusting of fennel pollen are the perfect one-bite appetizer. Forage fresh dandelion greens and make these dandelion pesto puff pastry twists dipped in gooey baked Camembert. Because you can never have too much goat cheese, try these whipped goat cheese and rhubarb crostini!
Fresh Entrées
Warm entrées paired with crisp leafy greens make a satisfying and light main course in this May Day feast. A fresh tarragon and vermouth vinaigrette adds a punch of flavour to this roast chicken and smashed potato salad. For a vegetarian option try crispy eggplant Milanese topped with a citrusy arugula salad.
Floral Desserts
On May Day you can never have too many flowers! Creamy floral honey posset is a super easy and elegant finish to your May Day feast.
Lemon and elderflower are a match made in heaven. Fluffy lemon cupcakes topped with a sweet elderflower buttercream are the perfect indulgent springtime dessert.
