May Day is Labour Day in France
May Day or La Fete du Travail is a national holiday in France celebrating the rights of workers and as the French workers often protest to protect their rights, this can be a day of demonstrations and strikes. This particular French national holiday is taken very seriously and it's a good holiday to mark in your calendar when planning a trip to France around this time of year. It's also one of the loveliest days of the year with fragrant bunches of Lily of the Valley for sale everywhere. Keep reading to find out more about this day of celebration.
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History of La Fete du Travail
On the anniversary of the French Revolution in 1886, socialists celebrated the occasion by declaring May 1 International Workers Day. Their symbol of a red triangle represented eight hours of work, eight hours of sleep and eight hours of leisure.
The triangle was replaced in 1907 with the Lily of the Valley as the new symbol for May Day and the day was officially declared Fête du Travail in 1941 and is now a national holiday in France. If you're in Paris on May Day you'll find the area around Bastille with its marches and demonstrations may be busy, and you should expect many cafes or restaurants to be closed and generally the French population enjoying their national holiday day.
May Day is also known as Fête du Muguet (Festival of the Lily of the Valley)
With the triangle symbol replaced by the Lily of the Valley (muguets in French), the day has also become known as Fête du Muguet. May 1 is also celebrated as the real arrival of spring so you'll see lots of pop-up sidewalk stalls selling muguets. In France, muguets have long been a symbol of good luck with the tradition said to have started with Charles IX in 1561 when he was given the flower as a gift.
Lily of the Valley Flowers for Sale on May Day
As this day is the only day when flowers can be sold on the street without a permit you'll see lots more flower sellers than normal in France. Many of the sellers in large cities, particularly Paris, will be immigrants trying to make a few extra dollars. Their flowers are popular and many sellers seem to sell out of their little bunches, and no wonder, they look so stunning all bunched together bright green and fresh white.
If you are lucky enough to be in France on May Day or Fête du Muguet or la Fete du Travail, then buy a bunch of the sweet Lily of the Valley flowers for good luck.
Other interesting French Festivals are All Saints Day La Toussaint, Bastille Day and La Chandeleur or Candlemas.
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