The Feast of Saint Joseph today is celebrated in France with white Lillies of the Valley.Look at the lillies - they don't toil, yet see how beautifully your heavenly father arrays them.
The French celebrate May 1 by giving lillies of the valley to everyone as a rite of spring. The French Embassy in Washington has a project to bring more lillies of the valley to us here in America. I so love those people!!
Here is what the Embassy says about the lillies of the valley:
This charming flower-giving tradition dates back to 1561 when King Charles IX decided that lily of the valley (muguet in French) should be offered on May 1 as a sign of good luck. Since then, people throughout the country have been offering the fragrant blooms to friends, loved ones and relatives to bid them a lucky year. As the flower became a gift rewarding virtue and good conscience, it is said that when the world was created, lily of the valley grew on both sides of the Gates of Paradise and that its little bells rang whenever a good soul went through the door. In the Middle Ages, May was the month for couples to get engaged and the tradition was to hook blades of lily of the valley above the door of one’s loved one. Lily of the valley has long been a symbol of renewal and spring, and it is fitting that it became a symbol of happiness and good luck.
No comments:
Post a Comment