MAY
Lily of the Valley and Hawthorn
May’s birth flowers continue to celebrate the spring season’s “return to happiness” and the anticipation of summer.
Lily of the valley is tied to a beautiful legend that says this flower fell so deeply in love with the nightingale that it refused grow until the bird returned to the woods in May. Beyond this, it’s most closely associated with May Day. People in England, France, and Serbia have historically given lily of the valley as a token of good luck.
Hawthorn’s cultural influences are also entwined with folklore. While it has been long considered a symbol of hope, it is also said to mark the entrance to other worlds and that it could slay vampires. Today, this flowering shrub is a symbol of hope and fertility. ...
Become an O’Reilly member and get unlimited access to this title plus top books and audiobooks from O’Reilly and nearly 200 top publishers, thousands of courses curated by job role, 150+ live events each month,
and much more.
Read now
Unlock full access