May Day / La Fête du Muguet in France is a public holiday / a jour fériés to celebrate workers rights! in the UK we tend to move public holiday days to the Monday but as with most jour fériés in France they stay on the day the occur. It is also an occasion to present Muguet / Lily of the Valley or dog rose flowers to loved ones, friends and neighbours. The day is also known as La Fête du Travail which never seems to happen in the Cle France Office!

So what do people do?

People in many areas give bouquets of Muguet / Lily of the Valley or dog rose flowers, I knew a friend who would cycle around the village and surrounding villages, in a rural corner of Mayenne, giving out single stem of Muguet to all her friends and take all day doing it!

The custom is particularly common in the area around Paris known as Ile-de-France. Families with children in the rural areas get up very early in the morning and go into the woods to pick Muguet. Individuals and flower stalls in urban areas sell bouquets of Muguet / Lily of the Valley on May 1st if you don't want to go and pick some yourself. There are special regulations that allow people and some companies to sell these flowers on May 1st without paying tax or complying with retail regulations, kerching!

In industrial towns some trade unions use the day to campaign for workers rights. Some people or even large organisations also use the day to campaign for human rights in general or to demonstrate against racism or highlight current social issues. 

Jour fériés:

May 1st is a public holiday. Post offices, banks, stores and other businesses are closed, Cle France remains open in the UK. Outside of tourist areas, restaurants and cafes may be closed. However, some stores in Paris, and other major towns and cities will be open. Public transport service schedules vary depending on where you live and where you want to go to. Parades and demonstrations may cause disruption to traffic in the center of large cities, particularly Paris, Reims, Rennes and Rouen. 

Now for the History Lesson:

King Charles IX of France was presented with Muguet / Lily of the Valley flowers on May 1st 1561. He liked the gift and decided to present Muguet / Lily of the Valley flowers to the ladies of his court each year on May 1st. Around 1900, men started to present a bouquet of flowers to women to express their affection. The flowers are a more general token of appreciation between close friends and family members these days and has not bee turned into a second Valentines day.

The eight-hour working day was officially introduced in France on April 23, 1919, and May 1st became a public holiday. May Day was not observed during World War II. However, May 1st became a public holiday again in 1947 and officially became known as La Fête du Travail (Labor Day) on April 29, 1948. Since then, it has been an occasion to campaign for and celebrate workers' rights.

We know it as just goof old fashioned May Day but, of course, it is also known as Labor Day in other parts of the world.

Symbols:

Muguet / Lily of the Valley and dog rose flowers are symbols of May Day in France.

The Romance: 

Ever since its introduction from Japan to Europe in the Middle Ages (bet you did not know that!) Muguet / Lily of the Valley has been regarded as a lucky charm by the Celtic folks from many countries.

There was also an old European tradition of 'bals de muguet' or Muguet dances; once a year, this was a rare occasion for young singles to meet without having to get parents’ permission. The girls would dress in white and the boys would wear a sprig of muguet as a buttonhole, how very quaint.

From around 1900, it became traditional in France for men to present a bouquet of flowers to their sweethearts to express their love and affection. Nowadays, sadly of course, the romance has drifted out of the tradition and 'Muguet ' flowers are really only given as a general token of appreciation between close friends and family members.

Blog submitted by: Sharon at The French Property Network - Cle France.

France, just like every other country, has many holidays throughout the year.

It is best to leave the planning of your viewing trip to the experts at Cle France but if you are going to plan your trip and see multiple houses then be careful to avoid les jours fériés as these may catch you out. Estate Agents in France work so hard they are keen not to miss the opportunity of a Bank Holiday day off and making the bridge is a common practice for most business so let us explain.

With the creation of new holidays every year (such as National Doughnut Day — faites une croix dans vos calendriers [mark your calendars]! It’s June 2nd this year!), it seems that there’s something to celebrate every day. Whether you believe in celebrating doughnuts or not (and let’s be honest, you should as you only live once!), there are certain holidays that are nationally recognised.

Image courtesy of Eric Rocheblave.

These holidays, called les jours fériés, are public holidays, and public servants, employees in the public sector, and students generally have the day off!

This year, France has 13 public holidays. Can you name them? Answers are at the bottom of the post!

Of those 13, 5 take place in May. That’s a lot of days off! That’s almost 40% of days off in one month. Do you know the expression faire le pont? It literally means “to make the bridge,” but it refers to the idea of going from one end of something to another more than actually making a bridge. What it means is to make a long weekend. If a holidays falls on a Tuesday or a Thursday, the French “make a bridge” to the next week.

For example, if the holiday is on Thursday, it doesn’t make much sense to come to work Wednesday, have off Thursday, return to work Friday, then have the weekend off. So what they do is have off Thursday AND Friday, plus the weekend. A four-day weekend! They font le pont from Thursday to Monday.

So what are the holidays this month? Let’s take a look!

Le 1er mai – La Fête du Travail – Labor Day

This holiday is sometimes called La Fête du Muguet. Le Muguet (lily of the valley) is picked and given to loved ones. Don’t want to pick any, or don’t have access to a field ? Don’t worry – there are stands on the road where you can purchase them. There are even regulations that allow organizations to grow and sell these flowers without taxes.

In the streets, you’ll see parades celebrating workers rights.

Le 8 mai – La Fête de la Victoire / le Jour de la Libération – Victory Day

This holiday is to celebrate the end of the Second World War and freedom. Freedom’s not just an American value :-p On this day in 1945, Charles de Gaulle announced the end of the war.

Many people attend church services on this day, and they watch the parades after. The atmosphere is generally quite happy.

Le 9 mai – Ascension

This is the 40th day of Easter and marks the day that Jesus Christ ascended to heaven after being crucified.

Some Christians attend special church services, but most people don’t do anything specifically related to the holiday. Since it’s a four-day weekend, many people may take a mini vacation.

Le 19 mai – Pentecôte – Pentecost Sunday or Whit Sunday

This is another religious holiday in May. Since it’s on a Sunday, the fact that everything is closed is nothing new. Some Christians will attend church services. Traditionally, trumpets will be blown during the service. This represents the wind that blew when the spirit descended into Jesus’s followers.

For many others, it’s just like any other weekend, except they don’t have to go to work the next day.

Le 20 mai – Lundi de Pentecôte –Pentecost Monday or Whit Monday

This day follows Pentecost Sunday. Much like the previous day, not a lot is done anymore. In fact, the French government decided to remove it from their list of national holidays around 10 years ago.  It was reinstated again after the death of many elders during a heatwave. The new holiday, called the Day of Solidarity, is to bring awareness to elderly people with disabilities. Some people do work on this day for no wages, and their money is donated to organisations. Not everyone does this, though.

Happy Holidays!

1. Jour de L’an (1er janvier)

2. Pâques (le 9 avril)

3. Lundi de Pâques (le 1 avril)

4. Fête du Travail (1er mai)

5. Fête de la Victoire 1945 (le 8 mai)

6. Ascension catholique (le 9 mai)

7. Pentecôte (le 19 mai)

8. Lundi de Pentecôte (le 20 mai)

9. Fête nationale (le 14 juillet)

10. Assomption (le 15 aout)

11. Toussaint (le 1er novembre)

12. Armistice 1989 (le 11 novembre)

13. Noël (le 25 décembre)

Blog submitted by: Alex at The French Property Network - Cle France.

This blog was originally posted on The French Language Blog pages.

How to get ahead of the pack with your future French Property Purchase

Why Open a Currency Account so soon?

It is never too early to prepare, we are seeing some properties going 'Under Offer' within days, especially in the lower budget brackets and one way for you to be prepared [and be ahead of the pack] is to be registered and ready to make a deposit payment on the property you want to buy [other currency parings are similar is GBP to USD].

What is the Current Status?

Sterling exchange rates are outperforming against the Euro, today, GBP to EUR is over 1.17, a solid level which gives enough of a case for Pound to Euro exchange rates to push up further in the near term.

This week, we have a few important releases before the Bank Holiday weekend, EU Consumer Confidence, UK Mortgage Approvals, US Fed Interest Rate Decision and Employment Data, but will they be a shock to the market?

So how can I protect my property budget?

The first step in protecting your overseas property budget would be to register with Key Currency, it’s free and there’s no obligation to trade. By doing so you get ahead of the pack because you can move quickly when you find that house of your dreams.

Click below for a free quote from Key Currency.

1. Great exchange rates
2. Quick and easy transfers
3. No transfer fees
4. Expert help and guidance
5. Authorised by the FCA

Current rates: 

Tuesday 30th April 2024 at 10:00

£1.00 GBP = 1.1715 EURO

£1.00 GBP = 1.2550 USD

£1.00 GBP = 1.9210 AUD

£1.00 GBP = 2.1100 NZD

£1.00 GBP = 1.7175 CAD

£1.00 GBP = 1.1440 CHF

• Want to Learn More?

• We have created a selection of Free PDF Guides for you to download covering many aspects of buying property abroad, visit our PDF Guides Page today or download our "Buying A Property in France" Guide PDF document.

• Want to Live in France Post-Brexit? download our "PDF Guide to Living in France Post-Brexit" document.

  

• Need to Send Money Abroad?

  • At Clé France / Key Currency, many of our customers have a need for currency exchange.
  • We are pleased to offer our customers favourable exchange rates on international currency transfers.
  • As a Clé France website visitor, you qualify for preferential exchange rates when you transact through Key Currency.

How to Save Money on your foreign currency transfers

• Key Currency can save you money by offering more competitive rates of exchange than your bank.
• Clients can typically save you 3-4% of the total transaction value, which can result in significant cost savings.
• All client funds are held in segregated accounts with top-tier banks keeping your money safe and secure.

For everything you need to know about French property visit www.clefrance.co.uk

Mayenne is a picturesque little market town that gives it's name to the river that runs smack through its centre. It also gives its name to the Department it sits in, though Laval, also on the river, is much larger and is the administrative centre. It is one of the lesser known Departments in France and on my travels from Paris to Nice I have found few French people who have even heard of it.

The town has been built on both banks of the river which rise steeply for about 50 metres on both sides. At the top of the right bank there is what remains of a once imposing 14th century castle that belonged to the lords of Mayenne. It has now been excavated, restored and turned into a museum of the towns history.

In the town centre, Place Clemonceau, next to the old château, are held the markets. The one on Monday is for general goods, clothes, hats, and hardware and Saturday is full of stalls selling fish and such local produce as fresh cream, locally made breads, vegetables along with travelling butcheries and charcuteries. There are a number of good restaurants and brasseries dotted about the town and the centre is a very pleasant little shopping area.

The chateau side of the town is the older part with steep narrow streets, some old half timbered houses and the huge 16th century Basilica of Notre Dame. The left bank has the newer buildings on it mainly due to Second World War damage. However, overall you can still find little cobblers shops where shoes are made by hand. Wonderful charcuteries that make all their own products and even spit roasted chickens on the pavements sending wonderful smells wafting down the streets. These mingle with freshly roasted coffee being made in a mall off the main Place or the whiff of chocolate being manufactured in a little chocolatier's shop and of course, the beautiful odor of baking bread and patisserie from the boulongeries.

There are, naturally, quite a few bars all of which seem to vie with each other by putting tables and chairs onto as much of the pavement as they can possibly get away with without actually causing traffic jams.

Mayenne and its depatment are host, throughout the year, to many of Frances top cultural and arts occasions. Plays, concerts, son et lumieres, historical spectacles, art exhibitions all form the many and varied attractions Mayenne has to offer. Mayenne, town and department are one of the hidden gems of France and that is why Mayenne is Magnifique.

If you want more? then follow the links above, in the images, where you can buy Fraser's published books.

Fraser Blake, 70, author of 'Dear Chips' and 'A Rant Too Far?' grew up in Africa, was at school in Scotland, and worked for the British South Africa Police in Southern Rhodesia. He has taught English in Saudi Arabia and sold and renovated hundreds of properties in Northern France.

In 1998 Fraser was selling houses in the Mayenne department of the Pays de la Loire region and so was the obvious choice, when Cle France was started, to be their first agent on the ground in France. In retirement he writes, blogs, cooks, drinks wine, and hosts to dinner unlimited numbers of ex-pats.

Always on hand with a viewpoint, Fraser is going to share his views on France, the French and the British, and other people who buy in France. Sometimes informative, sometimes funny, painfully true, outrageously opinionated but always entertaining so we hope it adds a slightly different dimension to the usual normality of searching through the fantastic properties for sale on the Cle France website.

Watch out for more rants and opinion next week or buy the book today for a rollicking good read.

A quick summary of what’s happening

Pound jumps to 1-month high against Euro

The Pound is having a good run against the Euro, Aussie and Kiwi, but is struggling against the US Dollar.

The US Dollar is exceptionally strong against other major currencies at the moment.

We attribute a lot of that to geopolitical fear as things are kicking off in the Middle East. It’s known as a ‘risk-off’ market.

The other key factor is that opinion on interest rates is changing rapidly.

The reason is inflation is proving to be sticky.

Today’s UK inflation reading is a case in point. Once against, inflation has come in above expectations.

Core inflation is still sitting above 4% - more than double the Bank of England’s 2% target.

Hard to see any rate cuts happening without a big drop in inflation.

The US Fed has come to the same sort of conclusion, pushing back expectations of cuts until later this year.

The Europeans are less clear but you would think they are largely in the same boat.

Moreover, there’s a fair bit of volatility in exchange rates right now.

So what next, what should you do?

Get ahead of the game and read our Guide to Foreign Currency Exchange.

Download the Guide Here - with no obligation of course.

If you have a currency requirement, best to get in touch to discuss current exchange rates, market strategies and upcoming events.

Get in touch so we can help you take advantage of any favourable moves.

You can speak to a member of our team on 01872 487 500.

To find out our latest rates, click below.

1. Great exchange rates
2. Quick and easy transfers
3. No transfer fees
4. Expert help and guidance
5. Authorised by the FCA

Current rates: 

Thursday 18th April 2024 at 15:00

£1.00 GBP = 1.1705 EURO

£1.00 GBP = 1.2455 USD

£1.00 GBP = 1.9355 AUD

£1.00 GBP = 2.1050 NZD

£1.00 GBP = 1.7040 CAD

£1.00 GBP = 1.1340 CHF

• Want to Learn More?

• We have created a selection of Free PDF Guides for you to download covering many aspects of buying property abroad, visit our PDF Guides Page today or download our "Buying A Property in France" Guide PDF document.

• Want to Live in France Post-Brexit? download our "PDF Guide to Living in France Post-Brexit" document.

  

• Need to Send Money Abroad?

  • At Clé France / Key Currency, many of our customers have a need for currency exchange.
  • We are pleased to offer our customers favourable exchange rates on international currency transfers.
  • As a Clé France website visitor, you qualify for preferential exchange rates when you transact through Key Currency.

How to Save Money on your foreign currency transfers

• Key Currency can save you money by offering more competitive rates of exchange than your bank.
• Clients can typically save you 3-4% of the total transaction value, which can result in significant cost savings.
• All client funds are held in segregated accounts with top-tier banks keeping your money safe and secure.

For everything you need to know about French property visit www.clefrance.co.uk