Lily of the Valley: A Symbolic Guide to Its Floral Meaning

Rich with symbolic meaning, lily of the valley flowers crop up in art, literature, religious traditions, and springtime celebrations. With their delicate blossoms, they are perfect for celebrating weddings and May birthdays and for saying goodbye to loved ones. Interestingly, it was also the late Queen Elizabeth II’s favorite flower. In this guide, I’ll take you through everything you need to know about the Lily of the Valley flower meaning, its history and origins, its uses and benefits, and its cultural significance around the world today. 

Etymological Meaning

Convallaria majalis comes from the Latin words for “valley” and “May.” The common name “lily” comes from the plant’s original classification as a member of the lily rather than the asparagus, plant family.

Color Symbolism

Most commonly, the lily of the valley flowers bloom in a crisp white, and all lily of the valley flowers take on the symbolism of white lilies of the valley.

However, the Convallaria majalis var. rosea species of lily of the valley, blossoms with flowers that blush in a delicate shade of light pink or light purple. These flowers have additional symbolic significance due to their different colors.

White

Most importantly, the White Lily of the Valley flowers represent happiness and the return to joy. They also symbolize purity, sincerity, youth, humility, and discretion. Given their cultural significance worldwide throughout history, the white lily of the valley flowers have myriad additional symbolic meanings.

Pink

In flowers, pink can represent love, femininity, compassion, admiration, and understanding.

Purple

In addition to symbolizing royalty and rarity, the purple lily of the valley flowers also symbolizes passion, dignity, accomplishment, pride, and success. 

Queen Elizabeth II

Queen Elizabeth II held Lily of the Valley flowers in high regard. With its sweet fragrance and cascading bell-shaped blooms, this delicate flower was prominently featured in her coronation bouquet in 1953. Its inclusion symbolized humility and a return to happiness—a fitting tribute to her role as a unifying figure for the nation.

The flower often appeared in royal gardens and floral arrangements throughout her reign, subtly reflecting her appreciation for its understated elegance. Lily of the Valley not only became a part of her legacy but also a quiet nod to the grace and resilience that defined her life and service.

Lily of the Valley flowers were also included in the wreath placed on Queen Elizabeth II’s coffin at her funeral in 2022. This touching gesture paid homage to her love for the flower and its enduring significance throughout her life.

Lily of the Valley in Myths and Folklore

Lily of the Valley Flowers has a rich tradition in mythology and folklore stories worldwide.

Ancient Greece and Rome

In ancient Greek and Roman mythology, it is said that the god Apollo, created the lily of the valley to carpet the area of Montparnasse so that his nymphs would have a soft and sweetly scented groundcover to walk upon. This is where the lily of the valley gets one of its common names, Apollinaris.

Serbia

In Serbia, the Lily of the Valley is called St. George’s Flower (Djurdjevak) and is picked on St. George’s feast day. The people then decorate their homes and adorn themselves with blossoms to bring good luck, fertility, and prosperity to their people, livestock, and crops.

May Day in France, Europe, and Other Parts of the Western World

In 1561, King Charles IX received lily of the valley flowers as a gift for good luck for May Day on May 1st. Each year following, he continued the tradition by gifting Lily of the Valley bouquets to the women in his court for good luck.

Today, the people of France still honor this tradition, and lily of the valley flowers are worn, used as decoration, and can be purchased from flower stalls everywhere to celebrate the coming of spring with good luck.

This tradition is also honored in other European countries. For example, the lily of the valley is also used in celebrations of the Gaelic May Day festival, Beltane.

The National Flower of Finland

The Lily of the Valley is the national flower of Finland. It represents the country’s natural beauty and connection with the Nordic landscape and is often seen as a symbol of the onset of spring.

During the popular midsummer festivals (known as Juhannus in Finnish), the celebrations often include the decoration and adornment of homes, saunas, and festive areas with the Lily of the Valley alongside other local flowers and birch branches.

Like in many other cultures, the Lily of the Valley symbolizes purity, freshness, and rebirth. It reflects the country’s pristine nature and its people’s resilience.

The Victorian Language of Flowers

In the tradition of the Victorian language of flowers, a prevalent form of communication and symbolism in literature and art created during the era, the lily of the valley represented sweetness, humility, and the tears of the Virgin Mary.

Flowers and Astrology

People who fall into the Gemini zodiac sign are adaptable, curious, and quick-witted. They are represented by two symbols: the twins and the planet Mercury. Geminis are gentle yet firm when they need to be, making them excellent communicators.

The adaptable yet gentle spirit of Gemini makes the lily of the valley a perfect flower for this group. Typically, this flower represents purity, sweetness, and innocence. It’s a small, bell-shaped bloom that can signify hope and new beginnings.

Lily of the Valley in Weddings

Legend says that the lily of the valley’s sweet fragrance helps to lure nightingale birds to their mates. This has made the blossom a popular choice for wedding bouquets, and many brides carry it as the fifth item of good luck in the “something old, something new, something borrowed, something blue” list.

In Holland, newlyweds plant lilies of the valley in their gardens to bring good luck and help renew their love throughout the years.

Spirituality, Religion, and Funerals

Lily of the Valley has a prominent place in Christian traditions. The flower is mentioned several times in the Bible, most often in the Song of Solomon. It’s often associated with the second coming of Christ, as a representation of hope.

With its white, pendulous blossoms, the lily of the valley flowers is often thought of as a symbol of tears. They represent the tears cried by Eve after being expelled from the Garden of Eden and Jacob’s tears.

Most commonly, the flowers represent the Virgin Mary’s tears shed at Christ’s crucifixion that was said to have sprouted lily of the valley flowers where they fell to the ground at the foot of the cross. This is where the common names Our Lady’s Tears or Mary’s Tears come from for lily of the valley flowers.

Due to their association with May and Mary, May crowning ceremonies are often celebrated on May Day with the crowning of Marian statues with wreaths of lilies of the valley.

Given the flowers’ strong association with tears and mourning, they are popularly incorporated in sympathy and funerary bouquets.

Art and Literature

These delicate flowers appear frequently in art and literature, rich with symbolic meaning. The folk impressionistic painter, Marc Chagall featured them in his 1916 painting, Lilies of the Valley. The flowers also carry heavy symbolic weight in the poem “The Lily of the Valley” by Paul Laurence Dunbar.

Suitable Gifting Occasions

From the Latin, Convallaria majalis, translates to “valley lily of May,” making the lily of the valley the official birth flower of May and for celebrating special occasions in the month of May.

Pretty Flowers and Strong Symbolism

These delicate flowers and all their rich symbolic meaning can be easily enjoyed at home in a cottage garden or a May Day floral bouquet.