The tradition of offering a sprig of lily of the valley as a sign of good luck dates back to 1st May 1561.

That day, the King of France, Charles IX and his mother, Catherine de’ Medici, visited the Drôme region. Knight Louis de Girard gave the Royals a lily of the valley sprig he had picked in his garden. The King then gave a sprig to all the ladies in his court. At the beginning of the 20th century, it became customary on the 1st of May to give a bunch of Lilly of the Valley to relatives, friends or work colleagues. The flowers are a more general token of appreciation between people. A school pupil might offer a bunch of lilies to his/her favourite teacher and to wish them luck and good fortune for the coming year. It is said that 60Million Sprigs are given each year.