La fete du muguet
The first of May has been an annual public holiday in France, known as La fête du travail (labour day) since 1948. It also marks a beautiful tradition “la fête du muguet” (lily of the valley festival). Back on 1 st May 1560, King Charles IX of France was presented with a bouquet of muguet ( lily of the valley ) as a lucky charm. The king appreciated the gift so much that he decided to gift a bunch of lily of the valley to the women of his court every year on the 1 st May. The gesture became more commonplace at the beginning of the 20 th century with men presenting the flowers to women to show their affection. Today, it has become traditional to give a sprig of the blooms (or send a card) as a token of love or friendship and good luck to close friends and family members. For just one day each year, the French government allows the tax-free sale of lily of the valley on the street to promote this tradition. I rememb...