La Fete du Muguet
May Day in France is the La Fete du Muguet (Lilly of the Valley Day). Most old gardens in France have a little patch of muguet de bois tucked away somewhere. Ours is just the other side of the railings going into the High Garden.
Ever since the Middle Ages Europeans living on the Celtic fringe have considered the Lilly of the Valley a lucky charm. The French tradition of giving Lilly of the Valley flowers on May Day is said to have begun on May 1st 1561 when King Charles IX was presented with a bunch of lilies of the valley as a sign of luck and prosperity for the coming year. No one knows who gave it to him but Charles took a shine to the idea and began the custom of presenting Lilly of the Valley flowers to the ladies of his court each year on 1st May.
We also love the idea of the “Bal’s de Muguet”, the old European tradition of once a year Lilly of the Valley Dances. Now sadly a thing of the past, these were a rare occasion of when young singles could meet without having to get their parents’ permission. The girls would dress in white; the boys would wear a sprig of Muguet as a buttonhole.
From around 1900 it became traditional in France for men to present their sweethearts with a bouquet of Lilly of the valley to express their love and affection. Nowadays Muguet flowers are also given as a token of appreciation between close friends and family members.
That being the case, on this particular May Day everybody here at L’Age Baston wants to send you a bunch of Muguet de Bois. In place of the real perfumed flowers, please accept this image of green and white springtime as a measure of our respect and esteem.
If you would like to come and see where the Muguet grow at L’Age Baston, we have a few vacancies on some weeks. It would be lovely to see you. L’Age Baston Holiday Dates & Prices.