May Day and Muget

White coral bells upon a slender stalk

First, I have learned that it's pronounced "moo-gay," and it's made an appearance in both the open-air markets and supermarkets alike.  There was even an article about it in La Depeche, talking about possible shortages of it due to wet weather.

Lily of the valley by my garden walk

Lily-of-the-valley.  Such an old-fashioned flower, one I adore.  One slim stalk is perfuming the whole room.  I remember them growing sort of wild on the property of my childhood, but I haven't seen them in the States in decades.  

They are a symbol of good luck on May 1, and are exchanged between friends and colleagues here in France.  Apparently sometime in the 1500's King Charles of France received one as a good fortune token and the custom has continued ever since.  

O don't you wish that you could hear them ring?

The 1st of May is not exactly a "national holiday here in France; it is however a day where NOBODY works.  Everything is closed tomorrow, and I do mean everything:  restaurants; the big stores out in the commercial zones; little shops that may normally be open on Sunday mornings. The Sunday supplement to the newspaper came out in today's edition.   Most things are already closed on Sundays, which I love.  A few things. like a handful of bakeries and butcher shops, Monoprix and Carrefour, the two "supermarkets" are open until noon.  But Sundays are reserved for family time here, not necessarily for church-going.  It's like the US before the repeal of "blue laws."  

That will happen only when the faeries sing

So, unlike Labor Day in the US, which is supposed to be a day off work, but in reality forces retail and fast food workers to serve a public that seemingly cannot stop consuming, May 1, "Labor Day" here in France, gives everyone a day off. 

Lilacs from today's market

I guess the only person working tomorrow is me--I have to play for the church service.