aixcentric

This is just a fraction of the lilies-of-the-valley growing right along the path, in my English garden.  ‘Ha…I could make a fortune with this little lot in the cours Mirabeau’, I said to M. Aixcentric, jokingly.

Good thing that I was joking as I now know the town has imposed some pretty stringent rules about this annual tradition.

For newcomers to France, tradition has it that if someone offers you a sprig of lily of the valley, it will bring good luck. Apparently, over 60 million ‘brins de muguet’ are sold in France every year, and it’s a boon for charities and labour organisations who are allowed to sell bouquets of lily of the valley, tax-free, on the street on May 1. 

The problem is that it’s a nice little earner for all and sundry and so the Mairie in Aix has emphasised that it is for charitable or neighbourhood organisations only, and has published the following rules:

Sales only on May 1st

Must be over 100m from any florist shop

No tables or chairs; can’t sell from a bike, car or pram

Must be a simple ‘brin de muguet’, so no added flowers, plants, pottery etc.  Just a straighforward cellophane wrap.

‘Une amende’ is threatened for people transgressing. Details here: http://www.aixenprovence.fr/Vente-du-muguet-pour-le-1er-mai

So I’ll leave my pretty lilies in the garden and give them to friends for luck!