Footnotes to a Conversation, May 1, 2023
Renewal
All winter long the thick, twisting branches of wisteria encase windows and door frames. They appear dead, lifeless until spring when, all of a sudden, they burst into a mass of drooping purple blooms. Wisteria is often represented in family crests and heraldry due to its fertility and longevity. [Wikipedia]
Love & Labour
It’s May Day in France, and above all it’s a day off. But it’s also a day to show your support for workers’ rights, and there are sure to be plenty of demonstrations as France is in turmoil right now over changes to the government pension plan. The date of May 1 was chosen in support of an American strike on May 1, 1886, which led to the Haymarket Massacre.
May 1 is also the Fête du Muguet and you’ll find small pots of lily of the valley for sale right across France. This tradition dates back to 1561 when King Charles IX decided to give lilies of the valley to all the ladies of the court. But it was only in 1941 that Pétain made the muguet the official flower of Labour Day. The day had been associated with the wild red rose, but Pétain didn’t like its connection with communism. [The American Business School and Le Monde]
The Golden Misfit
“There is no greater sign of hope, of wild resistance and resilience than the dandelion growing amid the concrete. A golden misfit, who refuses to be boxed, tamed and restrained, embodying the profound possibility for change, and the incredible capacity the wild has for the regeneration of life in the most hostile of situations.” [Resurgence & Ecologist]
The Humble Yam
We praise Michelin star restaurants, caviar, and foie gras, but how often do we give thanks for humble yet life-sustaining vegetables?
“In Emure Ekiti, a town in Nigeria, hundreds of townspeople troop into the streets to celebrate the season of the yam harvest. Women sing praises and chant prayers, dressed in beautifully printed ankara outfits. A man sounds a large gong, while children carry pieces of yam on their heads, careful not to let them fall. When they arrive at the palace, the king blesses the community and the harvest, and the festivalgoers celebrate by eating of the new yam, whether boiled, pounded, roasted or mashed into a porridge.”
Nigeria produces over 50 million tonnes of yam a year, while West Africa produces 94% of the world’s harvest. The yam is considered by most West African ethnic groups to be a symbol of fertility and the sustainability of life. [Modern Farmer]
Teddy Bear’s Picnic
I was walking the dog in Mennecy’s Villeroy Park this past week. It’s a forest more than a park so we were dwarfed by tall, tall trees in every direction. The road was very close by, but I’d had problems finding the entrance to the park and was unsure of my ability to find an exit. At this point, the words to a song popped into my head, “If you go down in the woods today, you’d better not go alone. For today’s the day the teddy bears have their picnic.”
Here’s Bing Crosby singing The Teddy Bear’s Picnic to take you back in time. [YouTube]
Footnotes to a Conversation is a weekly Monday feature covering an assortment of topics that I’ve come across in the preceding week – books, art, travel, food, and whatever else strikes my fancy. I also post occasional articles on other dates, including frequent book reviews and travel tales.
If you share my love of nature, check out EcoFriendly West, an online publication encouraging environmental initiatives in Western Canada, and Nature Companion, a free nature app for Canada’s four western provinces.