In France, which flower is traditionally associated with Labor Day on May 1?

In France, lily of the valley is traditionally associated with Labor Day on May 1.

The French custom involves offering sprigs of lily of the valley, known locally as muguet, as symbols of good luck. The flowers are especially linked with May 1, which France recognizes as both Labor Day and a public holiday.

The tradition predates the modern labor holiday in some forms. French royal and later popular customs connected lily of the valley with spring and good fortune, while May 1 became increasingly associated with workers’ demonstrations during the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries.

Lily of the valley should not be confused with the red triangle, which became a labor symbol in France. The flower is a cultural custom surrounding the holiday, not its official emblem.