The best known modern May Day traditions, observed both in Europe and North America, include dancing around the maypole and crowning the Queen of May. Fading in popularity since the late 20th century is the tradition of giving of "May baskets," small baskets of sweets or flowers, usually left anonymously on neighbors' doorsteps. I remember our kindergarten teacher helping us create May Day baskets and taking it home to my Mom - that would have been 50 (FIFTY!!!) years ago today.
If you put the two words together, MayDay becomes the word used around the world to make a distress call via radio communications. MayDay signals a life-threatening emergency, usually on a ship or a plane. A mayday call is not something to be taken lightly. In the United States, it's illegal to make a fake distress call. Doing so can land you in jail for up to six years and subject you to a $250,000 fine!
It seems like this whole COVID-19 situation has our world screaming MayDay on an hourly basis. It's been weeks now and I hope we will turn a corner soon. If you need a little laugh today, here are a few funnies I've received in the past week.
