If you live in the northern latitudes, there’s something special about the arrival of May 1st. It serves as a portent of summer and a farewell to the dreary late winter and early spring that we typically experience in the Midwest. On May 1st, you can be reasonably certain–though not guaranteed–that you won’t see another snowflake for at least five or six months. Human bodies begin to shed their heavy sweaters and utilitarian parkas for more stylish and revealing wardrobes. The first of May brings birdsong and sunburns and sweat and trips to the Dairy Queen and the smell of cut grass and the countless other things we’ve been pining for since October.
Of course, May 1st also May Day and National Love Day (if you’re in the Czech Republic and a romantic) and Law Day (if you’re in the United States and nostalgic). But for me, the arrival of a month that doesn’t contain the letter “r” just makes me happy.
