May 1st is Labor Day! This year, May 1st falls on a Thursday, and like every year, we’re going to offer a few sprigs of lily of the valley to our family and friends. But why do we offer lilies of the valley on May 1st? Discover the origins of this tradition, which is supposed to bring good luck…
Is giving lilies of the valley on May 1st good luck?
Originating in Japan and present in Europe since the Middle Ages, the lily of the valley enchants us every spring with its pretty bells of immaculate flowers… On May 1st, we like to offer a few sprigs to our loved ones, but do we really know the origins of this popular custom?
Back in the days of Charles IX, on a certain May 1, 1560, it is said that the king was offered a sprig of lily of the valley during a trip to the Drôme region, and that he appreciated the attention so much that he decided to give a sprig of lily of the valley to the ladies of the Court every spring, as a good-luck charm. A number of anecdotes followed, all of which contributed to the lily of the valley’s reputation as a sweet harbinger of happiness…
The power of the lily of the valley, from Charles IX to Félix Mayol and Christian Dior…
The Lily of the Valley, 1950
Later, in 1895, the chansonnier Félix Mayol, author of the famous song “Viens poupoule”, is said to have received a sprig of lily of the valley as a gift from his Parisian friend Jenny Cook, and pinned it to his jacket during his first performance on the Seine at the Concert Parisien. His performance was a triumph, and Félix Mayol kept the precious sprig of lily of the valley, helping to revive the custom, as he himself recounts in his memoirs.
Fashion designers such as Christian Dior also seemed to believe in this lucky custom. Christian Dior offered lilies of the valley to his customers, and made the delicate flower with its white bells the emblem of his fashion house. It wasn’t until the early 20th century that lilies of the valley were finally associated with Labor Day. Under Pétain, Workers’ Day became “Labor Day” and the immaculate lily of the valley replaced the red rosehip associated with the left…