Le Muguet
Au mois de mai, fais ce qu’il te plait.
In the month of May do what your heart fancies.
Provencal proverb
Today is a public holiday here in France, to commemorate la fête du travail and la fête du muguet.
I wrote a little about this tradition two years ago here, sharing my experience of a neighbour knocking on our apartment door and presenting me with this small token of friendship and bonheur (happiness) le muguet. Around town, I noticed people selling the small flowers in the street.
This commemoration actually has two origins and two separate histories, one dating back to the Middle Ages and the other to Chicago in 1886.
La muguet, also known as lys des vallées (lily of the valley) is a plant originating in Japan, long symbolising the arrival of spring, and on 1 May 1561, the year he became King, Charles IX chose it as a gift to bring bonheur to the women of the royal court.
Charles IX, King of France 1560-1574
It wasn’t until 1976 that it was also associated with la fête du 1er mai, la fête du travail.
In Chicago in 1886 a movement was launched to lobby for the 8 hour working day and the 1st of May was chosen to commemorate it. A strike involving 400,000 workers on May 4, referred to as the Haymarket Riot, paralysed a number of factories, the protest became violent resulting in the death of a dozen people including seven police.
Haymarket Riot, 4 May 1886, Chicago, Illinois
In June 1889 in Paris, for the centenary of the French revolution, it was decided to associate the 1st of May with the objective of attaining the 8 hour working day and in commemoration of the movement launched in Chicago on 1 May 1886.
Initially, they wore a red triangle to represent the triple objectives, 8 hours work, 8 hours sleep, 8 hours of leisure. This was replaced by the flower l’églantine and finally in 1907 by le muguet.
On 23 April 1919, the 8 hour day was ratified by the French senate and on 24 April 1941, during the German occupation, the 1st of May was officially designated la fête du travail.
Today la fête du travail is celebrated in most countries across Europe, except Switzerland and the Netherlands. It is also celebrated in South Africa, Latin America, Russia and Japan. In the UK, the first Monday in May is celebrated and in the US, Labour Day is celebrated on the first Monday in September.
Word by Word 
Thank you for this. Marie Paule brought me a muguet yesterday and now I know the meaning behind it. Karin
Sent from my iPad
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That’s wonderful Karin, you are right in with the best of French traditions! 🙂 I think it is one of the most delightful of all.
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Bonne fete a toi aussi! Where is my muguet? And why am I at work in England!Unfair…
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Oh no! Maybe in London there are enough French people that the florists have picked up on the tradition, if not someone ought to start a new trend, I mean they’ve already picked up the bises on both cheeks! So no holiday for you today then?
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Well… in London there might be some I don’t know but it didn’t reach my little kentish town, no…So work for me today but bank holiday on monday so really, I shouldn’t complain! 😉
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Happy holiday, Claire, and what a lovely tradition! Perhaps we need to think up something like this in the UK
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Enjoy the day!! Hope the sun is shining and you have been sitting outside, drinking some good wine.
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The sun is shining, but the Mistral is relentless! Saving the wine for tomorrow, in fact I shall be drinking champagne to the good health of a writer friend, whose recent success I am going to post about very soon. Watch out for Scattered Dreams coming up soon. You are going to love this story!
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Can’t wait to read it 🙂
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We celebrate Mayday here, too! But I wish Colorado had the Muguet! Only in some climates. Happy Mayday!
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Thank you and Happy May day to you too!
The muguet is such a delight, nature is amazing producing such delicate beauty.
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Oh, so that’s why people have been tweeting pictures of lily of the valley!
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Yes, today is the day! Bonne Fete!
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Bonne fete a toi aussi:)
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Thanks for all the interesting tidbits. All I know about the first of May is that it’s a song by the Bee Gees. 😉
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Beautiful and informative post, Claire! I love that Provencal proverb 🙂 Love the picture of Le Muguet. I also love the triple-8 philosophy (8 hours work, 8 hours rest, 8 hours leisure). It is a beautiful philosophy to strive for.
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It is good to remember why we have these days of leisure isn’t it and here in France we have plenty of them, they are highly valued and preserved!
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