In France, we have a tradition of offering Muguet - Lily of the Valley - on the first of May. It is supposed to bring good luck for the year.When I was a child, we would buy little bunches of muguet from young people selling them pretty much everywhere in the streets. The flower is pretty and smells heavenly.
I was talking about this tradition with my daughter, today, and feeling a little sad, because even though I could show her le muguet on the Internet, I couldn't bring to her the experience of smelling its fragrance. Maybe some day we'll be in France on the 1st of May. Or maybe I should buy some seeds and try and plant them so that we can grow them wherever we are.
This is a rare moment of nostalgia on my part. After all, our wanderings have allowed us to assimilate so many different traditions to our family culture, I can certainly let go of one. No big deal.
Still, I'm wishing Good luck and happiness to all who happen to read this post. Happy May 1st, everyone. May your wishes come true :)
1 comment:
What a lovely tradition, Katia--and of course that scent is so delicate that you couldn't replace it with jasmine. Interesting how our earliest impressions are often the most enduring--for me it's the fragrance of wild roses in Alaska.
What do you suppose your daughter will yearn for when she looks back on her childhood?
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