1st May – 'La Fête du Muguet'

In May, mostly on the 1st, French people offer their loved ones a ‘brin de muguet’ (lily of the valley) for good luck. If you ever spend the 1st May in France, you will notice people selling posies of lily of the valley at every street corner.

In the old times, a ball called ‘Le bal du Muguet’ would be organised for young people on 1st May. Girls would dress all in white and attach a ‘brin de muguet’ on their dress (for good luck). Boys and girls would spend a merry evening dancing and drinking ‘Maitrank’. Supposedly, dipping your lips in this wine on the 1st May would bring you happiness for the rest of the year. Isn’t that sweet?