The 1st of May, International Workers’ Day, is also known as the “Lily of the Valley Day”. It is a tradition to offer small sprigs of this flower to loved ones on this day, purchased from florists or from stands that appear in public spaces for this occasion (a practice that is tolerated as long as certain rules are followed). But where does this custom come from? The roots of this tradition can be traced back to ancient times. In ancient Rome, the blooming of flowers was celebrated around the end of April and beginning of May. The Celts had a similar festival, Beltaine, which marked the transition from the dark season to the light season.
Several historical anecdotes link the tradition back to the time of Charles IX. On May 1st, 1560, the king was reportedly given a sprig of Lily of the Valley during a visit to Dauphiné. He liked the gesture so much that he decided to continue the tradition of offering a sprig of Lily of the Valley to the ladies of the court every spring. Although this episode is difficult to verify, it is often mentioned in stories about Charles IX, like the novel “Charly 9” by Jean Teulé, published in 2011. During the Revolution, Lily of the Valley was associated not with May 1st, but with the “Republican Day” of 7 Floréal (April 26th) in the calendar of Fabre d’Eglantine. The red wild rose was instead associated with May 1st, and with workers for a long time.
A hundred years later, for the first International Workers’ Day in 1889, demonstrators wore a red triangle, quickly replaced by the red wild rose. This was a tribute to Fabre d’Eglantine, but also symbolized the bloodshed in events like the one on May 1st, 1891 in Fourmies where nine people were killed and thirty-five were injured. The Lily of the Valley gradually regained popularity at the end of the 19th century. The singer and actor Félix Mayol is said to have received a sprig of Lily of the Valley from his Parisian friend Jenny Cook in 1895 and wore it on stage for a successful performance. This contributed to the resurgence of the tradition. High fashion designers like Christian Dior also gifted Lily of the Valley to their employees and clients, making it a symbol of their brands.
It wasn’t until 1941, under Marshal Pétain during the Vichy regime, that Lily of the Valley was officially associated with the “fête du travail et de la concorde sociale” (Labor and Social Concord Day) established by the regime. Pétain preferred the white flower over the red wild rose, which was seen as too leftist and communist for his liking. Like the term “Labor Day”, the tradition associating Lily of the Valley with May 1st partially stems from the Vichy regime. The history of this tradition with the Lily of the Valley shows how customs and symbols can evolve and change over time, reflecting the cultural and political contexts in which they exist.
