It is the first of May and the French are celebrating. What else is new? Known as La Fête du Muguet or la Fête du Travail this national holiday, celebrating the rights of workers, is symbolically recognized with a sprig of lily of the valley. Sprigs this beautifully fragrant flower are gifted as a “porte-bonheur” or lucky charm for recipient.
Completely unrelated to the holiday, have you ever wondered why mayday has become the international call for help?
Mayday as a call for help began in 1923 when Frederick Mockford, who was a senior radio officer at Croydon Airport in London, used the phrase because it sounded like the French word m’aider, which quite literally means “help me.”
Who knew?
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