In Paris today, most business and shops are closed - except the flower shops! Flower shops all over the city, as well as unauthorized sellers and boy scouts and bakeries and anybody else who owns a table and a pair of scissors is out on the streets selling small bouquets of lily of the valley flowers. Today is a special day where "unauthorized" selling of lily of the valley is tolerated, therefore anybody can (and will) sell it.
May Day holds two traditions in France - it is firstly the true beginning of spring (it rains a lot in March and April so March 21st doesn't really count in the minds of Parisians.) Lily of the valley is thought to bring good luck when offered to someone around the 1st of May, but for some people only those sprigs with 13 flowers are truly lucky. According to Wikipedia, it was Charles the 9th who first offered lily of the valley (called muguet in French, pronounced moo-gay) in 1561 and the trend went on from there.
The second significance of May 1st in France is similar to America's labor day. Called La fete du travail, it is a day for worker's rights, an official government holiday so most people don't have to work and many civil servants will demonstrate today to exercise their workers' rights.
I wonder if Simmons is celebrating it's traditional May Day today. Is Bob White out on the quad giving his May Day speech for this year? Will that be followed by a May Day brunch, complete with mimosas (only for the seniors!) Enjoy your May Day and accept this virtual "porte-bonheur", or good luck charm.
May Day holds two traditions in France - it is firstly the true beginning of spring (it rains a lot in March and April so March 21st doesn't really count in the minds of Parisians.) Lily of the valley is thought to bring good luck when offered to someone around the 1st of May, but for some people only those sprigs with 13 flowers are truly lucky. According to Wikipedia, it was Charles the 9th who first offered lily of the valley (called muguet in French, pronounced moo-gay) in 1561 and the trend went on from there.
The second significance of May 1st in France is similar to America's labor day. Called La fete du travail, it is a day for worker's rights, an official government holiday so most people don't have to work and many civil servants will demonstrate today to exercise their workers' rights.
I wonder if Simmons is celebrating it's traditional May Day today. Is Bob White out on the quad giving his May Day speech for this year? Will that be followed by a May Day brunch, complete with mimosas (only for the seniors!) Enjoy your May Day and accept this virtual "porte-bonheur", or good luck charm.
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