French Culture – New Year’s Traditions

On this deuxième jour de janvier (second day of January), I’d like to start off by wishing everyone une très bonne année! (a very Happy New Year!) New Year’s provides the French with not one, but two more chances to do what they do best . . . celebrate!

Like most festive French holidays, New Year’s (both le Réveillon et le jour de l’An / New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day) feature great food and, of course, Champagne!* Many French New Year’s feasts also feature a (or many!) big platter(s) of freshly shucked huîtres (oysters). Shipped fresh from the ports of la Bretagne (Brittany), les huîtres are a favourite of the French for the holidays

Les mois sans ‘r’

While oysters are now consumed year-round, historically eating oysters (and other seafood) in the warmer months could be dangerous for those living far from the shore (no refrigeration meant that delicate seafood could easily spoil in transport). Oysters also reproduce when the water around them gets warm (generally in mid-spring and summer months of mai, juin, juillet, et août / May, June, July, and August) and some find that oysters are not as good at this this time. These two facts resulted in a common French tradition of avoiding oysters in les mois sans ‘r’/months without an ‘r’!

Le saviez-vous? / Did you know?

Le jour de l’An (New Years Day) was not always January 1st. For centuries, the start of the year varied from country to country and even sometimes by region. In parts of France the new year once started on April 1 (and some say that the tradition of le poisson d’avril dates from this period). It wasn’t until the late 16th century, when Pope Gregory XIII introduced the Gregorian calendar we know today, that January 1 was officially established as the start of the new year (at least throughout the Christian world).

* While most wine-producing countries have some form of vin mousseux/sparkling wine (Prosecco from Italy, Cava from Spain; even France has vin mousseux produced in regions outside Champagne ), Champagne is only Champagne if it is produced in the French region of the same name.

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

Only An Au Revoir

La Saint-Sylvestre (New Year’s Eve) may be celebrated slightly differently in France, mais (but) there’s a song associated with la fête (the holiday) that is fairly familiar to tout le monde (everyone).

La chanson du réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre (The New Year’s Eve song), Auld Lang Syne, is one that all anglophones know. It’s interesting to note that while les anglophones know the song and can sing along to it, most do not understand les paroles (the lyrics), because la chanson is not actually en anglais!

Auld Lang Syne was originally written in 1788 by le poète écossais (the Scottish poet), Robert Burns. Les paroles were written in Scots and set to une ballade écossaise (a Scottish ballad). La chanson quickly spread around l’Écosse (Scotland) and the rest of le monde anglophone (the English speaking world), and in the course of a few hundred years Auld Lang Syne became the traditional New Year’s Eve song it is today.

The Scottish origins of la chanson explain why most anglophones have trouble understanding les paroles, but translating the title from Scots to English makes the odd name easier to understand:

Auld Lang Syne

Long Long Ago (literally: Old Long Since)

La chanson traditionnelle (the traditional song) was translated into French in 1920 by Jacques Sevin, one of the cofounders of les Scouts de France (The Scouts of France). Outside of New Year’s celebrations, Auld Lang Syne is often song at Scouts events around the world.

La traduction (the translation) changes les paroles quite a bit, but successfully captures the spirit of old friends and saying goodbye. Even le nom de la chanson (the name of the chanson) is completely different, but the change keeps the feeling behind the song:

Ce n’est qu’un au revoir

It’s only a goodbye

In between making your voeux du nouvel An (New Year’s resolutions) and remembering the best of 2017, take a moment to celebrate la Saint-Sylvestre and sing Ce n’est qu’un au revoir en version francaise :

Faut-il nous quitter sans espoir,

Sans espoir de retour,

Faut-il nous quitter sans espoir

De nous revoir un jour

Do we have to leave without hope,

Without hope of returning,

Do we have to leave without hope

Of seeing each other some day

(Refrain)

Ce n’est qu’un au-revoir, mes frères

Ce n’est qu’un au-revoir

Oui, nous nous reverrons, mes frères,

Ce n’est qu’un au-revoir

(Chorus)

It’s only a goodbye, my brothers

It’s only a goodbye

Yes, we will see each other again, my brothers

It’s only a goodbye

Formons de nos mains qui s’enlacent

Au déclin de ce jour,

Formons de nos mains qui s’enlacent

Une chaîne d’amour.

Let’s make with our hands held together

At the end of this day,

Let’s make with our hands held together

A chain of love.

Unis par cette douce chaîne

Tous, en ce même lieu,

Unis par cette douce chaîne

Ne faisons point d’adieu.

Connected by this gentle chain

Everyone, in this same place,

Connected by this gentle chain

Do not bid farewell.

Car Dieu qui nous voit tous ensemble

Et qui va nous bénir,

Because God who sees us all together

And who will bless us,

Car Dieu qui nous voit tous ensemble

Saura nous réunir.

Because God who sees us all together

Knows that we will meet again.

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

Le réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre (New Year’s Eve)

The new year (le nouvel an) is fast approaching.

In France, as elsewhere, New Year’s Eve (called le réveillon du jour de l’an) is typically celebrated with friends. It’s common to celebrate the new year with champagne and fireworks.

But did you know that, unlike in English, New Year’s Eve also has a different name? In French, New Year’s Eve is also known as le réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre.

But who was Saint Sylvester?

Saint Sylvester was pope (pape) from 314 to 335 AD. Not much is known about his life, although the church grew in power during his tenure, erecting such monuments as Santa Croce in Jerusalem and the old Saint Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. Most of our common knowledge about Saint Sylvester is through unverified (and potentially fictional) stories about his relationship with the Emperor Constantine. One fictitious story stated that, upon administering blessed water, Sylvester cured Constantine of leprosy. Supposedly, it was Sylvester’s miracle that influenced Constantine to convert to Christianity.

The Feast of Saint Sylvester is celebrated around the world on December 31, because this was the day he died in 335. Today, many countries around the world—and not just France—refer to New Year’s Eve as Silvester, or a similar name in tribute of the ancient pope. For example, in Germany, Christian households traditionally celebrate Saint Sylvester’s Day by melting Silvesterblei (Silvester lead) in a spoon and dropping it into cold water, then divining the year ahead based on the shape of the cooled metal. In Switzerland, men dress as Silvesterklaus and ring large bells to welcome in the new year.

In France, la Saint Sylvestre is celebrated with friends, good food, champagne, and firecrackers or noisemakers. But there is one more tradition that is often reserved for this special day: le baiser sous le gui (kissing under the mistletoe). Unlike in some Anglophone cultures, where kissing under the mistletoe is a Christmas tradition, this ancient ritual is reserved for la Saint-Sylvestre in France.

Bonne année!

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

La Fete Des Pères - In French

La Fete des Pères (Father’s Day) is just around the corner! Unlike la Fete des Mères (Mother’s Day), cette fete (this holiday) doesn’t involve remembering two different dates when you’re from the UK or les États-Unis! In both France & UK and aux USA, la fete falls on the third Sunday of June.

La Fete des Pères is both a new and old holiday. The tradition of having a day of celebration for your father goes back to at least le Moyen Age, but the modern holiday is more of an American export.

In every version of la Fete des Pères throughout history, I imagine it has always been difficult to know what exactly to get un papa (a dad) for leur fete.

Even today it can still be difficult, but fortunately a lot of dad gifts have become standard over the years.

Of course, les papas will be content with a good laugh when they make a corny joke, and in that spirit of les blagues nulles (bad jokes) or dad jokes, stores everywhere stock up with novelty ties, mugs, shirts, and any other dad gift you can think of.

It boils down to finding a million way to say: Le meilleur papa du monde! / The best dad in the world!

Peu importe (no matter) how bad le jeu de mots (play on words), the most important part of la fete des pères is having la famille (the famil) send a loving message:

Papa, je t’aime ! / Dad, I love you!

To get ready for la fete, take a moment to learn how to say some of the gifts un papa would expect on his special day.

Voici un vocabulaire des papas :

Le père – Father

Le papa – Dad, Daddy

Le grand-père – Grandfather

Le papy – Grandpa

Le cadeau – Gift

La cravate – Tie

Le mug – Mug

La grande tasse – Mug

Le T-shirt – T-shirt

Le rasoir – Razor

Le massage – Massage

Les chaussons – Slippers

Les pantoufles – Slippers

La tondeuse – Lawnmower

Le gril – Grill

La casquette – Baseball Cap!

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

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

American Stereotypes and Traditional Cuisine

Living in France as a Brit but especially as un américain (an American) sometimes means hearing the same jokes over and over again. Most of the time it’s all meant in good fun so it never bothers me and sometimes I even learn about les stéréotypes américains (American stereotypes) that I never knew existed!

The most common stéréotype américain that is the end of many jokes for me here en France is that all Americans love les hamburgers (hamburgers).

Like with French fries not being from la France, there’s an irony in the stereotypically American food originally being from l’Allemagne (Germany) and not les États-Unis (the United States). Cependant (however), that doesn’t stop the hamburger punch line from being repeated, especially if the subject of traditional cuisine comes up.

Et toi John, tu veux manger un hamburger !

And you John, you want to eat a hamburger!

While it can get old hearing the same joke over and over, it also inspired me to learn des nouveaux mots (new words), because I quickly realised I had no idea to talk about what goes into making un bon hamburger or how to properly explain the difference between le fast-food and a backyard barbecue!

Instead of seeing it as an annoying situation, I prefer to look at it as a way to open up conversations and gain insight into la culture française. It may be awkward, but I understand that mes amis français (my French friends) are looking for a way to include me and I appreciate the effort, even if I don’t laugh at the hamburger jokes.

So I decided to learn how to discuss les ingrédients et les condiments (toppings and condiments) and how exactly I like le steak haché (the patty) cooked! Après tout (after all), even if les hamburgers are not my favourite food, I do enjoy eating them!

Voici un vocabulaire de hamburger

Hamburger – Le hamburger

Fast Food – Le fast-food

Barbecue – Le barbecue

Spatula – La spatule

Bun – Le petit pain

Patty – Le steak haché

Very Rare – Bleu

Rare – Saignant

Medium Rare – À point

Well Done – Bien cuit

Sauce – La sauce

Ketchup – Le ketchup

Mayonnaise – La mayonnaise

Mustard – La moutarde

Relish – Le condiment

Tomato – Le tomate

Lettuce – Le salade

Onion – L’oignon

Pickle – Le cornichon au vinaigre

Grease – La graisse

Fries / Chips – Les frites!

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

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