This is what I would be offering you, my friends, if I still lived in France.
May 1st is the Fete du Muguets, when work stops for a day, when friends and family are given a sprig of Lily of the Valley to wish them well.
It's the only day in the year when people are permitted to sell flowers on the street without a licence, and all groups take part. Scouts, Guides, children, all offering little bunches, maybe picked from their gardens.
It's a lovely tradition dating back to a time when there was a sovereignty in France.
Happy May Day wherever you are!
25 comments:
Happy May Day to you, too. We had sweet lily of the valley in our garden in Connecticut when I was growing up and they are still one of my favorite flowers. Take good care!
Happy Fête de Muguets, Barbara! I love this tradition. I had an aunt who had her birthday on May 1st. My uncle always gave her a bunch of muguets ... even though we don't have that tradition here. So charming and the smell, wonderful!
Have a happy day & love, Carolien
Happy May Day to you, dear friend. My sister, who lives in Indiana, has a blog entitled Lily Valley. Just this weekend, I found Lily of the Valley china pattern in an antique store and sent her a photo. (I live in Georgia) Such sweet little blooms. Have a wonderful week.
Merci Beaucoup - they are such charming flowers- old fashioned and sweet. I remember learning the French word Muguet as a child, when I read it on a tin of talcum powder!!
How beautiful! Happy May Day to you!
Happy May Day, I keep trying to grow Lily of the Valley but not having much luck.
Wishing you and yours a very Happy May Day, Elizabeth. I think the French custom is very, very lovely. xo
I love this! What a lovely tradition to be a part of! Our flowers are not out here yet, we are quite behind this spring, but I enjoyed your lovely lily of the valley bouquet :) Happy May Day to you!
Happy May Day! They are so pretty.
A blessed day to you, too! I had never heard about the Fete du Muguets. But I think if I travel to France again, I would like to be there on May 1st!
Happy May day! Our lily of the valley are just starting to unfurl. I told a friend last year that I had always wanted some and the next thing I knew she was here with a big box of them dug from her yard. NOw I will always think of her when they come up.
What a marvelous tradition . . . I love Lily of the Valley. They are so delicate and lovely.
Elizabeth, what a wonderful tradition. The streets must be so fragrant from those beautiful flowers.
A very nice tradition!
I'm late, but happy May Day to you!
What a lovely tradition.
I'm late, but happy May Day to you!
What a lovely tradition.
Happy May Day to you - what a lovely tradition, I wish we could take on a tradition like this. I remember as a child my mother used to get bunches of violets around this time, you never see them any more....
I thought of my neighbour in France yesterday. She always gave me a little posy of lily of the Valley from her garden on 1st May and some of them were pale pink - I had never seen pink ones before. It was a lovely gesture I thought. I have a few in my garden here and the perfume is wonderful. Happy May Day to you too a bit belated I fear!
Such a sweet tradition!
Happy day-after-May-Day to you! :)
I read recently that the tradition to give "muguet" on May First is as old as the 16th century. I tried to plant some in my garden, but they never bloomed. My mum has lots of them, though.
what a lovely tradition! thanks for sharing this!
Les muguets de bois are such pretty flowers. I don't think I've ever seen them in real life, but I'm always enchanted by the idea of a bouquet of them on May Day.
They're beautiful! The only time I've ever had Lily of the Valley flowers was in my wedding bouquet! :)
Sorry to be a bit late but thought you might like to know this. In the 1950s I worked for Cotys and on May 1st we always found a sprig of like if the valley on our desk for Cotys made Muguet perfume etc.
thank you fir happy memories.
Hazel c uk
I didn't know that about May Day in France. Thank you for sharing that with us. Lily of the valley is one of my favorite flowers. Sadly, it wouldn't grow well in the climate or the soil where we live now.
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