Vive le Muguet ! a 1st May French tradition

This coming Monday,  we will be celebrating le "Premier Mai" or May the first...

In France, May 1^st is a national holiday, the equivalent of Labour Day. It is also a celebration of Spring, and every year, on that morning, people all over France rush to small pop-up flower stands scattered across every town and village, to buy small bouquets of muguet, or lily-of-the-valley, as gifts to their loved ones and to decorate their own homes. It is a joyful, community-inspired day when French people celebrate the real beginning of Spring – something that definitely makes sense to us out here on the East Coast, when winters often linger until the end of April!

The dainty bell-shape blossoms bloom in May, and in the language of flowers, they signify the return of happiness. They have traditionally been associated with the qualities of humility, chastity, sweetness, and purity, and one of the flower’s alternative names, Our Lady's tears or Mary's tears. Sources have it coming from Eve's tears after she was driven with Adam from the Garden of Eden.

 

Whatever the legend, the muguet is the quintessential Spring flower and its association with the first day of May is said to date back to the 16^th century, when France's King Charles the 9^th was offered a sprig of lily-of-the-valley by one of his knights, and, charmed by this attention, began to distribute the flower to the ladies in his court every year on that date.

The practice was revived in 1900, on the occasion of a party organized by Parisian fashion designers, when all attendees received a small bouquet of muguet. Not surprisingly for a French tradition, grace, femininity and elegant courtship were always essential to the identity of this delicate flower, and we are thrilled to be renewing this spirit for our charming little Petidoux ladies!

 

We invite you all to celebrate the return of airy, easy days with our brand-new floral-themed collection. Your little ones will be thrilled to be wrapped into such sweetness and comfort!

Check-out our prints, which include that lovely elegant flowers, such as Pink Flowers & Butterflies, Lavender flowers & Butterflies, available in both long pajamas and summer set, for a month full of grace and mood-lifting fragrances!

 

A little poem for the new month of Mai and its muguet 

 

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