The Little Bells That Ring for Joy: A May Day Tradition from France
A Handful of Happiness: The French Tradition of May 1st and the Lily of the Valley
On the first day of May, while the rest of the world marches for labor and justice, the French quietly pass along a different kind of power—a handful of tiny white flowers said to bring happiness and luck. These are the lilies of the valley, or muguet, and in France, these tiny white bells are no ordinary blossoms. They are messengers, ringing softly for luck, love, and the return of joy.
Press photograph; 1912. Source: Bibliothèque nationale de France, département Estampes et photographie, EI-13 (156)
The custom dates back to 1561, when King Charles IX was gifted a sprig of lily of the valley during a springtime visit to the countryside. So taken with the gesture, he began offering the flower each year to the ladies of his court as a token of good luck and renewed prosperity. The idea caught on, and over time, giving muguet became a widespread tradition—especially on May 1st, when the flowers are typically in bloom.
Unlike the more politically charged May Day marches or labor demonstrations that also occur on May 1st, the act of giving muguet is deeply personal and apolitical. It’s a quiet ritual of kindness. Friends, family members, neighbors, and even co-workers exchange the flower with the simple phrase: “Je vous offre du muguet pour vous porter bonheur” (“I offer you lily of the valley to bring you happiness”).
An illustration from The American Garden magazine, 1881.
Lilies of the valley in vintage Wheaton bud vase; House of Good Fortune Collection
This tradition, like most good ones, has roots in both royal courts and ancient woods. In Celtic lands, lily of the valley was associated with the Beltane festival, a sacred turning point in the wheel of the year. May 1 marked the gateway to summer, when the veil between worlds grew thin, and the earth opened to fertility, love, and renewal. The little white bells were said to beckon good spirits and ward off the dark—their downward curve a humble bow to the mysteries of the season.
In Germanic folklore, muguet was sacred to Ostara, the goddess of spring and dawn. In Christian tradition, the flower is sometimes called Our Lady’s Tears, said to have sprung from the Virgin Mary's sorrow. In medieval herbals, it symbolized the return of happiness. Some believed it could heal melancholy. Others believed it could help you dream of your true love.
It is a flower of contradictions—delicate yet poisonous, modest yet wildly persistent, blooming only for a short time each year, then vanishing like a secret kept. And perhaps because of this, it is treated with a kind of reverence.
So if you happen to find yourself in France on La Fête du Muguet, and someone offers you a small bouquet—accept it. No matter who gives it to you, it carries the same message: that happiness can return, that sweetness endures, and that even the smallest gesture may be the one that turns your fortune.
Take the flowers. Keep the wish. Let the little bells ring.
Oilette postcard view of a still life featuring lily-of-the-valley and a green jug.