Happy May Day! The first of May is one of my favorite days in France. Officially it is the Labor Day holiday but it is also Féte du Muguet, or Festival of Lily of the Valley. On this day, it is a centuries-old tradition, begun in 1560 by King Charles IX, to present friends and loved ones with a sprig or bouquet of these delicate, fragrant flowers as a token of affection and good luck.
All over Paris, flower markets, shops and street vendors set out lavish displays and the day is filled with sweet scenes of Parisians of all ages carefully choosing the most fragrant bunches as gifts.
Je porte bonheur (“I bring happiness”).
I look forward to this day all year and couldn’t wait to create a mantel display with all the abundantly available flowers.
The large cloche in the center was a flea market find a few months ago, purchased with this display in mind.
It is such a joy to see a tradition like this still carried out. Of course, it is a good business day for the florists, too – I used to just cut huge bunches of Lily of the Valley from my Seattle garden but now am supporting more than one florist with my obsession!
If your visit to Paris coincides with May Day, I recommend visiting the street markets of Rue Cler and Rue Montorgueil and the flower markets and boutiques to witness these scenes of happiness and good will.
À bientôt!
xx
I love this display of Lily of the Valley. It has always been a flower I love. I wanted it in my wedding bouquet, but unfortunately they were not available in CA in January so many years ago, now. I still wish I could have had them. I love your flea market cloche, too. It’s beautiful along with your smaller ones. I, too recently found a large cloche at an antiques faire for a very reasonable price. It inspires me to be creative. And creat mini vignettes. Georgianna, one of your last posts also had a cloche display and it inspired me to find the dome old cloche I had from a clock that had broken. Now I use it too. Thank you for that creative idea.
I sure wish we had une Fete du Muguet in the U.S. Thank you for the beauty you capture and share along with the history bits.
P. S. I just received your beautiful book on Lilacs, my second most favorite flower. I am so enjoying it. I never realized that it’s like a weed and that it has been around for so long. Looking forward to reading more about Lilacs.
A bientot!
Love, love, love these images!!! Great mantle display.
My husband and I recently reworked part of our shade garden to be all green and white and added the Lily of the Valley – I’m hoping it spreads. Much to my surprise, I also found a whole patch in a wooded area on our property. I’ve transplanted more into the garden. Next year, I should be able to harvest a great bunch on May Day.
Hi Linda, I so enjoyed harvesting my own Lily of the Valley. As long as your plants don’t dry out and have a bit of shade, they should spread quite rapidly! Look forward to hearing how they do for May Day next year. G
I love this charming tradition! My Mom has Lily of the Valley, a ton of it, and has the pink variety as well. Your mantle looks so beautiful! xoxo
Thanks so much, Stace. Oh, I must get some of the pink ones when I have a garden again. They are extra charming! xoxo