Labour Day - Fete du Muguet

We are off the France for the weekend to stay with friends and celebrate the 1st May

The origins of Labour day strangely enough, started in the USA. On 1 May 1886 American Labor Unions organized a strike in favor of limiting working hours to an eight-hour day. In 1889 it was decided to make May 1st a special day for demonstrations. In 1941 the Vichy government, declared May 1st the feast of labor and national concord. It was to be a day on which workers could stay home and must still be paid.

Americans, just to be awkward, now celebrate Labour Day in September; and the British, who like all their holidays to be Mondays, keep May day on the first Monday in May.

May 1 is also La Fête du Muguet, and the tradition is to give the ones you love a little bouquet of lily-of-the-valley, for good luck and to celebrate the arrival of spring. Originally the idea was to take the kids into the forest and let them pick your own muguet together. Of course, in the city you will more likely buy it from the florist's, or better yet, from one of the countless stands that sprout up overnight on every street corner and every road in France, most of them doing this as a fundraiser for one cause or another. We will go to the forest and pick our own.

In many towns and villages the whole place is turned into a giant flea market - a bit like a UK car boot but with more wine! and for several years we have run a stall with our friends.

I hope I can find some nice French bargains :-)

Hope you all enjoy the holiday weekend.

MM xx