Mother Goose Day: Celebrate the classic Mother Goose tales

When it comes to holidays, the first day of May is a lovely day. Not only is it May Day and Lei Day, May 1 is also Mother Goose Day, an annual event that celebrates the classic Mother Goose tales. This "holiday" was launched back in 1987 by author Gloria Delamar in conjunction with the release of her book, "Mother Goose: From Nursery to Literature."

Who Was Mother Goose?

Whether you prefer Jack and Jill, Humpty Dumpty, Georgie Porgie or Little Miss Muffet, these popular rhyming poems have been enjoyed for centuries. While one could assume the classic children's stories and rhymes were penned by an elderly woman, that assumption may not be true.

Despite the fact that burial registers include a record of Mother Goose being buried in 1586, legend has it that Mother Goose rhymes were actually written by both men and women and passed down folklore-style from generation to generation.

How to Celebrate Mother Goose Day

• Head on over to your local library and pick up a few Mother Goose books. The stories are also available online.

• Make it story time and read one or two of your favorite Mother Goose tales to your class or children.

• Dress up like your favorite Mother Goose character.

• Watch and listen as Boris Karloff, Celeste Holm and Cyril Ritchard recite Mother Goose rhymes from 1958 - located on YouTube or on the bottom left side of this article.

• In the spirit of Mother Goose Day, why not try your hand at writing a rhyme or two of your own?

• If you happen to have a lake or ocean close by, why not go watch the geese?

Happy Mother Goose Day!