Delicate and deliciously scented, white Lily of the Valley Bells are traditionally offered every May First. Over the years, this habit has continued essentially without asking about its origins.
Lily of the valley, symbol of renewal
thrush (Kanvallaria Majlis) is a plant vivid of grass Which grows in shady groves and forest edges. He usually blooms in April and May,
toxicHowever, this beautiful plant is a symbol of renewal, joy, purity and fragility.
Known to bring good luck, lily of the valley, which presents its clusters of small fragrant bells in spring, has been a symbol of renewal since Roman antiquity, during which it was celebrated during the ‘florales’. The euphemistically named God Apollo in Greek and Roman mythology may have actually given birth to this plant in order to facilitate the journey of his nine musketeers who walk smoothly on a carpet of deliciously scented flowers.
For their part, the Celts adopted the flowering period as a symbol of renewal, the passage from the darkness of winter to the brightness of spring.
love symbol lily of the valley
Lily of the valley is also synonymous with love, Lily of the Valley weddings celebrate a couple’s 13 years of marriage.
Already in the Middle Ages it was customary to hang a sprig of lily of the valley over the bride’s door. On the other hand, women can express their love for a man by placing delicate flowers in front of his door.
In the 19th century and until World War I,lily of the valley balls’ were held across Europe on 1 May and the youth of villages were allowed to meet without their parents. All the boys sported a sprig of lily of the valley in their buttonholes, while the young girls celebrated their virginity in immaculate dress.
Lily of the valley bolls still exist today in many municipalities., They take place on the night of April 30 to May 1, though retaining this strong specific meaning, but as we all know, balls and other festive venues have always favored rendezvous!
lucky lily of the valley
It is said that in order to really bring good luck, 13 bells need to be offered to 3 sprigs of lily of the valley for the omen to be effective! The more varieties are filled, the more extraordinary the coming year will be for the person to whom this gift is given.
This tradition dates back to the Renaissance, when Charles IXson of Henry II Catherine de MediciIn 1560, when he was only 10 years old, he was given a sprig of lily of the valley as a lucky charm. Overwhelmed by this old-fashioned and fragrant gift, the young king decided to give flowers to the ladies of the court for each year of his reign.
In France in 1895, Felix MaiolA young singer recently arrived in Paris from Toulon, who became famous for his song ‘Come on, Chick!‘ A sprig of lily of the valley stuck to his jacket because fleur Camellia could not be worn by the gentlemen of the time. The success of his series of concerts was immediate, and the sprig of lily of the valley was adopted by the singer who made it his symbol.
In the 1900s, lily of the valley took its first steps behind the scenes of fashion, which it has never left since. One designer offered sprigs of lily of the valley to his employees to bring them good luck. One of them, mesmerized by this gentle attention, did the same to those around him. A new trend has started.
Christian Dior himself adopted the flower as the symbol of his house.Dedicating a bell-studded dress in white cotton organdy to her in 1957, a few years after he designed an entire collection on the theme of her favorite flower, which he is said to have sewn into the hem of his creations for her to wear The branch was sewn. Happiness. The famous couturier even wore a sprig of lily of the valley in his buttonhole. A giant sprig of lily of the valley was also installed for a time in front of the fashion house, which says the flower is symbolic to Dior. collection of tableware named ‘new lily of the valley‘ was also produced by the famous fashion house.
Lily of the Valley and Labor Day
The date of May 1 was not previously specifically associated with lily of the valley in relation to Labor Day. This famous holiday comes to us from the United States and is celebrated on May 1, 1886., a date marked by a strike call by the union to obtain an eight-hour working day. Movements in the following days caused deaths, earlier but not later than other social movements of workers. A red wild rose was also chosen to be worn in the buttonhole during the parade on May Day, as a way of personifying the blood shed for the workers.
In 1889, at a meeting of the International Socialist Congress in Paris to celebrate the centenary of the French Revolution, it was decided that the firstIs May be announced”International Workers’ Day,
And in all this our thrush? It was Marshal Petain who in April 1941 decided to replace lily of the valley with red rose hips.When he ‘declared’ May 1stlabor day and social harmony, This non-working and pay day was established to gently rally the working world to the Vichy regime. Manipulation doesn’t happen from today!
