Editing May Day (section)

== France ==
[[File:Lily of the valley 777.jpg|thumb|Lily of the valley]] 

In [[Provence]], 'May trees' decked with flowers and ribbons were traditionally set up on May Day in every village. It was also a tradition for young girls to be dressed in white, decked with crowns and wreaths of roses, and set on seats or platforms strewn with flowers in the streets. Their companions would go about asking for money from passers-by.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Frazer |first1=James George |title=The Golden Bough (Third Edition) |date=1917 |publisher=[[Project Gutenberg]] |url=https://gutenberg.org/ebooks/60250 |chapter=Chapter 10: Relics of tree worship in modern Europe}}</ref>

On 1 May 1561, King [[Charles IX of France]] received a [[lily of the valley]] as a lucky charm. He decided to offer a lily of the valley each year to the ladies of the court. At the beginning of the 20th century, it became custom to give a sprig of lily of the valley, a symbol of springtime, on 1 May. The government permits individuals and workers' organisations to sell them tax-free on that single day. Nowadays, people may present loved ones either with bunches of lily of the valley or dog rose flowers.<ref>[http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/france/labor-day May Day in France Timeanddate.com].</ref>