Muguet Tradition Dates to 1561, Radio France Says
Every 1er mai, millions of sprigs of muguet are offered in France, but Radio France says the custom did not begin with Labor Day. The tradition is said to date to the 16th century, with a popular story linking it to Charles IX and a sprig received in 1561 during a trip in the Drôme.
The same account says the flower later became tied to May 1 for reasons that were not the same as the labor movement, and that its sale is allowed only under specific rules. That leaves buyers with a holiday custom that is familiar, regulated, and potentially hazardous if handled carelessly.
Charles IX and 1561
According to the popular tradition, Charles IX received a sprig of muguet in 1561 and decided to offer one each spring to the ladies of the court. The story is described as more legend than firmly established historical fact, which is why the flower’s link to May 1 rests on a tradition rather than a documented origin.
At the end of the 19th century, May 1 became a day of social protest, and the flower worn then was the red eglantine, not muguet. Muguet became established later, in the middle of the 20th century, after the red flower had been tied to revolutionary movements under the Vichy regime.
May 1 sales rules
Sales of muguet are exceptionally authorized on May 1, but they remain regulated by municipal decrees. In general, only cut sprigs may be sold, without a fixed installation such as a table and without direct competition with florists, who must be kept at a distance.
Picking muguet in the forest is also regulated because the plants belong to the landowner. That means the holiday custom is not a free-for-all: both selling and gathering the flower are limited by rules that shape where and how it can be offered.
Muguet and household risk
All parts of muguet contain substances that irritate the digestive system and are toxic to the heart. Ingesting it can cause nausea, abdominal pain, or heart disorders, and the water in the vase is also risky.
Farell Legendre, president of the Fédération française des artisans fleuriste, said in 2024 that "ça reste la première fête calendaire après la Saint-Valentin." French households spent 19.4 million euros on muguet purchases in 2024, a sign that the tradition remains a major seasonal market even as the flower carries clear safety and legal constraints.
