May Day In Paris, Muguet Flowers And A Bit Of Happiness

It is impossible to forget May Day here,  because as soon as I step out in the streets, Paris will be literally flooded with perfumed Lily of the Valley flowers.

Even before today, the grocery stores have been selling Lilies of the Valley and I have seen people buy loads of them to give as gifts.

These tiny white tinkle bell looking flowers with long green leaves usually go for 2 or three euros and up, so they make an affordable treat to take home.

I do love their perfume, which is quite strong and can linger not only in the air but in your memory.

They are said to bring you happiness, and at least for me, they do, however fleeting.

You don’t need a large bouquet, just a few sprigs will do.

They are a reminder that you can find moments of happiness in little things around you; it all depends on your perspective.

Tradition has it that King Charles IX in 1561, who was the second oldest son of Queen Catherine de Medici,  initiated the custom of offering the divinely perfumed little white flowers to all the ladies of his court on the first of May.

He requested that this tradition become an annual event and it has persisted to this day.

However meaningful this tradition is, apparently the “porte bonheur” didn’t bring much happiness to poor King Charles IX, who died young at 23 of tuberculous pleurisy.

This lovely custom predates what the first of May has been officially designated as  Fête de Travaille, or workers day.

Almost all stores are closed today, except florists. Hundreds of street sellers with their buckets full of muguets are found on all street corners

The majority are made up of immigrants trying to make a little cash, although I have seen a few French families set up tables for the event.

I did not realize until recently that the French have loads of rules imposed on the poor muguet street sellers.

The French love a set of rules as perhaps it gives them an authority to regulate everything, but rules here are for defying more than obeying.

The biggest rule is that they can’t sell less than 50 meters away from a florist, and their lilies of the valley must be wild plucked, not commercially grown, and not mixed with other flowers.   Tents or tables are prohibited too, which is often defied.

I prefer to buy them from impoverished street sellers tied with only a ribbon, which probably were freshly picked in the forests.

The woods are full of them around Paris, provided you get there a few days before May first.   The flowers are supposed to be fairly easy to grow but are toxic if consumed.

Sometimes, they are called Mary’s Tears.  Legend has it that when the tears of the Holy Virgin Mary fell to the ground at the crucifixion, her tears turned into lilies of the valley.

May is a month full of holidays that allows the French to “faire le pont”, meaning they bridge over these days onto the weekend, so as to have extended time off.

Since May Day, 2024,  this year falls on Wednesday, Paris has been noticeably quieter as many have turned the holiday into a long weekend.

I have not been out to get my own little bouquet of muguet yet, as I have been busy rewriting this post.

It’s always hard to choose from which immigrant seller I will buy, feeling bad for turning away for some, knowing that they must all need  money.

So far, I have never seen any gendarmes(police) chase off the street flower sellers, like I have seen them do fruit vendors.

I allow my heart to lead me to the one that looks the most forlorn and worried.   The underdog of muguet sellers if you will.  I figure they will be the ones most in need.

You may not have the ability to obtain some lilies of the valley today, but why not think about bringing some happiness to yourselves and others, with some flowers or a plant.

Today. May 1, 2024, the moon is in Aquarius, so for those of you who garden by the moon like I do, today would not be a good day to plant.  However, on May 3rd when the moon moves into Pisces, planting is favorable.

Don’t wait for moments of happiness to come sailing your way.  You have to search for them around you in simple things.

It is really up to you to do that for yourself. Cultivating happiness is worthy of doing on a daily basis.  

Saying your gratitudes, for what you have been blessed with, is likewise a path toward happiness too!