Happy May Day! Celebrated on the 1st of May, this holiday takes many forms the world over. A celebration of spring, it conjures images of girls in white dresses dancing around may poles, pretty ribbons, and one of our favorite flowers, Lily of the Valley.

In France, the Fete de Muguet is a public holiday in which this unique and somewhat rare bloom can be sold on the street without a license, and small bunches are given to loved ones to wish them happiness and good luck with the arrival of spring.

Lily of the Valley is one of our favorite special occasion flowers as it is unique and steeped with meaning and history. Heady and sweet smelling, the flower is the only of it's kind in it's genus. In the language of flowers it signifies a return to happiness, making it a popular choice for brides.

Grace Kelly and Kate Middleton chose the bloom as the main flower in both of their bridal bouquets. It was also the designer Christian Dior's flower of choice, and his first classic fragrance in 1956 was based on Lily of the Valley. 

We hope you are enjoying the beginning of this season, and should you be lucky enough to be near a florist carrying this bloom today, give a few stems to someone you love.