Labour Day
Labour Day or International Workers' Day celebrates the labour movement. This day has been officially celebrated in France since 1947 by a public holiday on 1 May, even though since the end of the 19th century this day has represented a day of protest and demonstrations for the labour movement. May Day celebrations in France are often associated with a custom dating from the 16th century; tradition has it that on 1 May King Charles IX of France received a lily of the valley as a lucky charm and from then on decided to offer a sprig of the flower to the ladies of the court each year. This flower also symbolises the return of spring.
