May Day (La Fête du Muguet, La Fête du Travail)

 

Muguet

May Day in France celebrates labour and is similar to Labor Day everywhere else. There are parades and campaigners take to the streets to demonstrate for basic human rights and against racism.

It is a common practice to give lily-of-the-valley or dog rose flowers to loved ones and these are readily available at stands everywhere.  Organisations often sell these flowers to raise money for their particular causes.

Flower Stalls, May Day

Because it is a holiday, many of the stores and government buildings are closed and traffic is frequently disrupted by  demonstrations and marches.

The reason the Muguet or lily-of-the-valley flowers are associated with May Day is because King Charles IX of France was presented with them on May 1, 1561. He was so pleased he began to present the flowers to the ladies of his court each year on that day. From about the beginning of the 20th century it became a common practice for men to offer them as a sign of affection to women although now-a-days they tend to be more of a general token of appreciation and good luck between close friends and family members.

For many, May Day signals the beginning of the season for planting out the flower boxes seen in so many apartment windows, and the flower shops do a thriving business.

Buying Plants

This year, because of the cold spring, the flower boxes seem a bit sparser than in years past.

Flower boxes seen from our window