but also called "La Fête du Muguet" (Lily of the Valley Day).
This French tradition begun on May 1st, 1561, when King Charles IX received a bunch of lily of the valley flowers as a taken of luck and prosperity for the upcoming year. The following years, he began the custom
of presenting lily of the valley flowers to the ladies of his court each year on May 1st.
As most people know, the French take workers rights very seriously (hence the strikes you hear about from time to time). Because of that, La Fête du Travail is a public holiday that is observed almost as strictly as Christmas. You can see the unions march in a lively parade around the Bastille to campaign for and to celebrate workers rights. In honor of this, most places will be closed, but you will still find a few brasseries or bars open. The best thing to do is to just wander the city and take in the sights (maybe go see the parade at Bastille, then wander up towards the canal for a picnic!).
It is also a day to celebrate the arrival of spring. As you walk around Paris, you'll see little sidewalk stalls popping up everywhere selling lilies-of-the-valley (or muguets), since May 1 is the only time of the year when people can sell flowers on the street without having to buy a permit. The tradition of giving lilies-of-the-valley started with King Charles IX when he was presented with the flowers on May 1, 1561. Apparently, he liked the flowers so much that he decided to give them to all the ladies of his court on the same day each year. Then, around 1900, French men started giving bouquets of muguet to women to express their affection. Today, the flowers are given as a token of appreciation to close friends and family members.
So take a stroll, buy a bouquet of muguet, and enjoy all the sights, sounds, and smells Paris has to offer!
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