May Day in France

Lily of the valley is commonly known as ‘muguet’ in French. It is a woodland plant found in the cool temperate parts of France. The flowering stems are easily recognisable with its two leaves. The sweetly scented white flowers are bell-shaped and grow in late spring, around the end of April and beginning of May in shady locations.

Tradition has it that the flower came into being from Eve’s tears when she was forced to leave the Garden of Eden. Another tradition confers the existence of the flower to the Virgin Mary as a result of the tears she cried at the Crucifixion.

Traditionally, lily of the valley is sold everwhere on streets across France on the first of May and is one of the symbols of springtime and of good luck.

The traditions of the 1st May in France

Picking lily of the valley in the forest

The French State tolerates individuals and workers' organisations to sell them free of taxation. When driving around the country, it is not rare to see roadside stands or people selling wild lilies previously picked fresh in the forests.

For families living near the countryside and forests, it is a rather good afternoon outing on Sunday (or Labour Day) gathering a beautifully fragranced bunch of lily of the valley. Back home, the bunch is put in a vase to decorate and perfume the whole room.

le premier mai en France

Lily of the valley is closely related to May Day or Fête du Travail in France. It is a bank holiday; hence most shops and convenience stores are closed. It is the perfect time of the year for demonstrators to campaign for and celebrate workers’ rights. (Vive la République!)

The tradition of offering lilies of the valley dates back to 1st May 1561, when King Charles IX of France received a lily of the valley as a lucky charm. He created the tradition when he decided to offer a lily of the valley each year to the ladies of his court.

At the beginning of the 20th century, it became custom on the 1st of May, to give a bunch of lily of the valley to relative, friends or work colleagues. The flowers are a more general token of appreciation between people. A school pupil might offer a bunch of lilies to his/her favourite teacher.

Lily of the valley and May Day

Muguet in the forest © French Moments

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A delicate flower ...

Lily of the valley flowers are subject to seasonal weather variations in spring. In 2011, the white bells were quite rare to find and rather expensive to buy for May Day due to an early spring season and too much sun in March and April. Consequently, the delivery of the wild flowers to the French wholesalers were down by 40% - 50%.

80% of the production of lily of the valley originates from the region of Nantes. In 2010, the total turnover from the selling of the flower reached 25 million euros.