Photo of the Week – May 3, 2013

On Wednesday, le 1er mai (worker’s day) was celebrated here in France as well as in many other countries which honor the day. The lovely ladies in this photo, taken in 1911, proudly wear their bouquets of muguet (lily of the valley), a tradition that is said to have begun when Charles IX offered the flower in May of 1561. Today, the sweetly scented white bouquets are a ubiquitous site on the first of the month, and a sure sign that spring is on its way.

photo: 1er mai 1911, le muguet [Public domain], via Gallica