Dear DateSpacers,
May 1 marks a holiday too-little celebrated by contemporary Americans: May Day.* (Think white dresses, crowns of wildflowers, poles with ribbons, and words like “blithe,” “bonny,” and “thither.”) According to Wikipedia, the holiday, for some, involves the tradition of making “May Baskets”:
These baskets are small and usually filled with flowers or treats and left at someone’s doorstep. When you ring the bell, you are supposed to run away. The person receiving the basket would try to catch the person running away. If they caught the person, a kiss was to be exchanged.
This is a pretty sweet deal: fill a basket with some flowers and junk, put it at the door of someone you like, “run” away, get caught, get a kiss.
So, hop to it! We’re even providing you with instructions for how to partake of this “gentle and charming activity.” But it’s not quite as easy as it sounds. Here are some Lessons Learned from our own prior attempts in years past:
1. Your object of affection may pretend to be unaware of the tradition, saying things like, “Can I help you with something?” or “Did you just leave all this crap on my porch?” or “I told you, it’s over.” This is fine. Just bring a copy of the Wikipedia article to explain. Better yet, fold up a copy of the article and include it in the basket, and highlight the part about May Baskets and draw stars around it and stuff so they know that’s the part they’re supposed to read. Also write “Read Me” on it so they know it’s not just for decoration. Once they see that it’s in Wikipedia, they’ll know it’s true.
2. When you deliver the basket, wait till you hear someone coming to the door, then start to “run” (remember, not too fast). If you don’t hear anything for like, half an hour, they probably aren’t home. If so, and this is important, don’t keep waiting—leave and try again later. Some people just don’t really like it when you wait for them to come home outside of their door. We think it’s probably because it spoils the surprise. Plus, you don’t want to look desperate.
3. If you’ve already tried this with the same person for the past, say, seven years or more with no success, maybe think about trying someone new. Some say five, some say ten—just use your best judgment.
Good luck!
1. DateSpace of the Week
Once you successfully land your May Day crush, user Apf enthusiastically recommends that you go to TOWN. Not idiomatically, literally—it’s a restaurant/bar in the Chambers Hotel, of Sex and the City fame. Talking point! (Word of caution: lots of people feel pretty strongly about this show, or about not feeling strongly about this show, so feel it out before you offer your opinion.)
Been on a really great date lately? Suggest next week’s DateSpace of the week by emailing eric@datespaces.com.
2. This Week at The Daily Dater
This week’s column sorts out the pros, cons, and whens of romantic getaways. Among the advice, save Llama Land and its one-man band till you’ve gotten to know your beau. Afterall, who needs a bar in far Bombay when we can help you find a great one right here in New York?
Send your dating queries and conundrums our way by emailing charles@datespaces.com.
3. Joy-Inducing Non Sequitur
Thanks to Sasha Frere-Jones of the New Yorker for pointing us to the best thing since supercalifragilisticexpialidocious. All right!
Bonny Dating!
The DateSpaces.com Team
XOXOX
*Incidentally, May Day is also the title of a classic novella by F. Scott Fitzgerald.
