Embracing the French Sunday

If your Sundays are spent frantically washing, grocery shopping and meal prepping for the week ahead, the French would tell you, you’re doing it wrong. In France, productivity has no place in your day of rest, with many shops closed – and nobody up in arms about it.

Intentionally languid, low-stress and filled with family, food and aimless strolls, French Sundays are an institution. Brunch plans? Far too much pressure. Sleep in instead, then savour a croissant.

To-do lists are out, and daydreaming is in. Other approved activities include browsing farmer’s markets, doing a puzzle while listening to music and, *bien sûr, making time for some romance.

Here's how to have the perfect French Sunday.

* of course

Une loterie d'amour

French may be the language of love, but romance hasn’t always run smoothly for its inhabitants. A traditional custom called *la loterie d’amour (love lottery) used to see single male suitors stand outside the homes of single women and call out until they were paired off. If the man found his partner-to-be displeasing, he’d head for *les collines.

In retaliation, the scorned women would then band together and start a bonfire, burning images of the men and cursing them. Eventually, this practice was banned by the government, and more palatable traditions took its place.

*the hills

Do the French Celebrate Halloween?

Ever wondered if the French take part in trick-or-treating, or put out *les citrouilles on October 31st? While many older generations view the holiday as a crass, commercial US import, Halloween has grown in popularity in recent years.

However, it’s still completely overshadowed by a more sombre tradition that takes place the next day – La Toussaint (or All Saints’ Day). On this national holiday, families visit cemeteries to clean, decorate and place *les chrysanthèmes, which symbolise memory, on the graves of loved ones lost.

And while it may not involve a sugar hit, the occasion is also a favourite with kids as it coincides with a two-week school break, *les vacances de la Toussaint.

* pumpkins | *chrysanthemums | *All Saints’ Day holidays

Raclette

Cheese (and carb) lovers, rejoice – raclette season is officially here! Derived from the French verb *’racler’ meaning ‘to scrape’, the ultimate comfort dish features oozy, melted cheese scraped with a spatula onto boiled potatoes with pickles and cured meats often served as sides.  

An alpine specialty, raclette is believed to have originated in the canton of Valais in Switzerland way back in the Middle Ages. However, other *fromage fancying nations have adopted the traditional dish with gusto – including France.  

While the dish was originally made fireside, today many heat their cheese to scrape-ready, melted perfection on a raclette grill. As for the cheese, the authentic choice is Swiss raclette cheese – a semi-hard cow’s milk cheese. However, Gruyère, Comté and Gouda will also work if that’s what you have *dans le frigo.

*to scrape | *cheese | *in the fridge

Quel est ton jeu de société préféré?

Did you know that the French are avid board game enthusiasts, with 91% of the population regularly indulging in a *jeu de société, or *deux? *Alors, now you do.

*En fait, 2023 saw nearly 90,000 boxes of board games sold each day in France, making it one of the most game-obsessed markets in Europe. Which begs the question, *Quels sont les jeux de société préféré de nos professeurs?

You’re probably familiar with most of these, other than le Jeu des petits chevaux. This traditional French children’s board game, similar to Ludo, consists of moving several pawns (horses) to the home reserved for their colour. Each player will receive between one and three horses, with the first player to reach the last square (numbered 6) winning the game.

*Well | *board game | *two | *Which are our teachers favourite board games?

5 Famous Poisson d’Avril Pranks

*Attention, tout le monde! Today marks the French equivalent of April Fool’s Day, Poisson d’Avril. Or, April Fish. Celebrated with the sneaky application of a paper fish to the back of unsuspecting victims (here's the background), April 1st is understandably popular with *enfants. But the media embrace it as well.

From announcing the sale of the Eiffel Tower to changing métro names, here are five famous Poisson d’Avril pranks played on the French public over the years.

*Careful, everyone! | *children

What does Père Noël drink?

As you’re putting out a cold one for Santa this réveillon de Noël*, spare a thought for Père Noël*. The traditional treat to refuel Father Christmas in France is a plain old glass of milk.

Children also fill their shoes with biscuits and carrots (for the reindeer), which are replaced with sweets and gifts as they slumber.

The French natives in le nid* may find our beery tribute odd, but we’re not alone. Here are the countries who think Santa might need a stiff drink amidst all the stocking stuffing.

*Christmas eve | *Father Christmas | *the nest

Ortolan

“There is a dish so aromatic, so indulgent, so cruel, that it is meant to be eaten with a towel draped over the diner’s head – both to keep in the smells and, perhaps, to hide one’s face from God.”

So says a Gastro Obscura article about an illegal French delicacy involving a tiny songbird, Armagnac brandy and a cast iron stomach. Not to mention a black-market fee approaching €150.

Eating lunch? We suggest you come back later… Otherwise, gird your loins for an interesting read about ortolan. 

*cast iron stomach

Source : www.francebleu.fr

The Art of Being a Flâneur

When dans une nouvelle ville*, do you race around with a jam-packed schedule of galleries, monuments and restaurants to get to? Or are you more of a “let’s see where this street takes me” wanderer?

New York Times writer Victoria Tentler-Krylov is a firm proponent of the second approach. In The Art of Being a Flâneur, she writes: “To walk a city led by your senses rather than a destination is to awaken to the city and, possibly, to yourself. It’s an opportunity to expand your capacity for wonder, to discover and delight in things you might have missed had you been aiming to get somewhere.”

If you have five minutes or so, this article is a lovely exploration Baudelaire’s “passionate spectator” and the French art of flânerie, or idle strolling. Enjoy!

*in a new city

Who Speaks French?

How much do you know about the French language? Who speaks it and where do they live? If you’re up for a translation challenge, this article provides some interesting insights. Or, if you want to take the easy route, we’ve pulled out the key facts below.

But before you take a peek, can you deviner* how many Francophones there are around the world? If it helps, the total number of English speakers is environ* 1.5 billion…

Drapeau de la francophonie

French is…

• The official language of 30 countries. This represents more than 300 million people, half of whom live in Africa.

• The world's fifth-most spoken language after Mandarin, English, Spanish and Arabic or Hindi.

• The only language spoken on 5 continents (besides English).

• The second most taught language in the world.

Francophones (French speakers)…

• Number around 274 million, globally.

• 212 million are native speakers, while 62 million have learned French as a second language.

• Have a total income representing about 5% of the world economy (while making up only 1.5% to 2% of its population).
  
  *guess | *around

The Ultimate Snack?

Récemment*, an American mother in Paris created quite the social media storm by posting a video of her child’s after-school snack to TikTok. The meal in question? A chunk of baguette filled with chocolate and beurre salé.*

While Aussie dietitians would likely choke on their activated almonds, this is apparently a common delicacy among French children for le goûter*. With goûter meaning ‘to taste’, le goûter is the sweet afternoon snack les enfants* enjoy around 4:30pm when the bell rings. 

Served by parents and after-school carers, this non-negotiable snack is designed to tide les petits* over until dinnertime. It might simply consist of yoghurt and fruit. But if you're lucky, you'll score a couple of cookies, pain au chocolat, or Nutella on bread. The TikTok goûter in question is also popular.

One thing that’s a little contentious, however, is the addition of salted butter. “Baguette + chocolate bar + BUTTER. Butter is compulsory for me, not an option! But never salted, beurk*,” says LF’s Josephine. What do you think, les chouchous*? Is salted butter a ‘oui’ or a ‘non’ for you?

*Recently | *salted butter | *afternoon snack | *children | *the little ones | yuk! | *teacher’s pets

Marchés de Noël

Dreaming of a Christmas that’s white rather than white-hot? Maybe it’s time to start planning a festive trip to France next December. While there’s no guarantee of a blanket (or even a dusting) of neige*, there’s no shortage of Hallmark movie-worthy Marchés de Nöel* that will have you feeling the joys of the season. 

Behold two lists of the best French Christmas markets to add to your itinerary. Le Figaro’s 2022 round-up is in French if you’re up for a challenge. But there’s also another option en anglais* if you’ve already checked out for the year – we can’t say we blame you!

*snow |*Christmas markets |*in English

La Bûche de Noël*

Source : marieclaire.fr

Savez-vous que*…

La Bûche de Noël is the traditional cake served at Christmas in France. If you’ve been interested in French language, culture or cuisine for a little while, you may very well already know this. However, do you know the origins of this most recognisable of desserts français*?

Tradition has it that on the longest night of the year (le solstice d’hiver*), French pagans would burn an enormous log to stave off the freezing temperatures, bien sûr*, but also as an offering to the gods to ensure a plentiful harvest in the coming year.

While it’s unlikely you’ll want to recreate the heat of a burning log in our sweltering southern climes, you may wish to set yourself the challenge of making this spécialité hivernale*. Voici la recette* (it’s in French but if you need some help, just click on any term for the English translation. Bon courage!*

*The Christmas Log | *Did you know that | *French desserts | *the winter solstice | *of course | *winter specialty | *Here’s the recipe | *Good luck!

Christmas shoes

Savez-vous que*…

French children put out their chaussures* instead of their stockings in the hope that Père Noël* will fill them to the brim with cadeaux*?

Voici l’histoire*, thanks to French leather goods site Cirage et Compagnie*.

On raconte qu'un jour qu'il passait devant la maison de trois petites sœurs pauvres pour se réchauffer devant la cheminée, Saint Nicolas leur offrit quelques pièces de monnaie pour les aider.

Les piécettes glissèrent dans les chausses que les fillettes avaient mis à sécher devant le foyer de la cheminée. Ce n'est qu'après sa visite, qu'elles découvrirent la surprise en se réveillant.

Les bonnes choses se sachant vite, la rumeur s'est répandue et depuis, le soir du réveillon, chacun met ses chaussures ou ses chaussettes devant la cheminée ou bien au pied du sapin avec l'espoir d'y trouver quelque chose le lendemain matin.

---

It is said that once upon a time, as Saint Nicholas passed by the front of the house of three poor little sisters, he asked to warm himself in front of their fire and offered them a few coins to help them out.

He slipped the little coins in the pantaloons that the young girls had placed to dry in front of the chimney. It was only after his visit, when they woke up the next morning, that they discovered the surprise.

Good news travels fast so the rumour got around and ever since, on Christmas Eve, children put their shoes or slippers in front of the chimney or even at the foot of the Christmas tree in the hope of finding something the following morning.

Mignon, non*?

*Did you know that | *shoes | *Father Christmas | *presents | *Here’s the story | *Wax & Co. | *Cute, isn’t it?

Père Fouettard

Les gens* often lament that things are just not like they used to be, and in many cases, it’s a fair complaint. The world seems to be changing at warp speed and it’s tempting to want to grasp on to the familiar.

However, there are certaines circonstances* when change is a positive thing and Père Fouettard is one of them!

No longer d’actualité* (you’ll see why soon), Père Fouettard (Father Whipper or Old Man Whipper) is a fictional (we hope!) character who accompanies Père Noël* on his rounds during Saint Nicholas’ Day on the 6th December. The story goes that while jolly Père Noël is busy handing out gifts aux enfants sages*, Père Fouettard dispenses lumps of coal to the naughty children. Fouetter is the verb ‘to whip’ in French and this is where this villain gets his name - he’s known to whip those rascals who have not been on their best behaviour all year.

As though that’s not disturbing enough, an alternative tale goes like this:

“An innkeeper (or a butcher in other versions) captures three boys who appear to be wealthy and on their way to enrol in a religious boarding school. Along with his wife, he kills the children in order to rob them….They drug the children, slit their throats, cut them into pieces, and stew them in a barrel. St. Nicholas discovers the crime and resurrects the children. After this, Père Fouettard repents and becomes St Nicholas' partner.”

Quelle horreur*!

Source: Wikipedia

*People | *certain circumstances | *in common usage | *Father Christmas | *to the good children | *What horror!

Le Réveillon de Noël*

Though today only about 15% percent of French citizens declare themselves practising Catholics, there was a time towards the end of the 19th century when that number was 98%.

This could explain the French tradition of celebrating Christmas on the 24th December with a very late dinner, usually eaten upon their return from Mass and often kicking off at about midnight.

Naturally, things have changed since then and many families celebrate with an earlier dîner* on Le Réveillon de Noël with some even waiting for the 25th to celebrate.

While in the most religious of families the Christmas meal was deliberately simple (for example une soupe aux légumes*) as a reminder that Jesus was born into poverty, today the meal is often a veritable festin de Balthazar* and can include foie gras*, huîtres*, queues de langoustines*, saumon fumé*, champagne* and the traditional bûche de Noël, of course.

Délicieux*!

*Christmas Eve | *dinner | *vegetable soup | *feast fit for a king | *foie gras | *oysters | *lobster tails | *smoked salmon | *champagne | *Christmas log | *Delicious!

Cher Père Noël*

Savez vous que…*

Since 1962 it has been French law that every letter written to Père Noël* will be responded to in the form of a carte postale*? C’est vrai*!

La Poste (the French version of Australia Post) even has several versions of suggested texts to help les enfants* express their dearest wishes, as well as various addresses, all of which will ensure accurate delivery. C’est tellement mignon*. Here’s the full story.

*Dear Father Christmas | *Did you know that… | *Father Christmas | *postcard | *It’s true | *children | *It’s so cute

La rentrée

You may have heard some talk about la rentrée* earlier this month, as French children were preparing to head back to school.

While la rentrée definitely describes the return to school after the long summer holidays in France, it is also used more broadly among the rest of the population.

In August, virtually the whole of France slows to a crawl, with not only schools but many businesses, restaurants and even the government shutting up shop for the hottest of the summer weather.

Almost everyone takes a holiday away from their home town. The most privileged may eye off international experiences and those on more modest budgets may faire du camping*. Regardless of the destination, le but* is to leave behind le quotidien* for a chance to changer les idées*. It’s for this reason that la rentrée holds such weight in the French culture. Come the start of September, it’s time to pack away the togs, get ready for school or work and look forward to a new year.

Whether that evokes excitement or apprehension probably rests on the quality of les vacances…*

*start of the school year | *go camping | *the aim | *the everyday | *to take one’s mind off something | *the holidays

Le Bal des Pompiers

In July’s issue of Le Chouchou News we promised you a story about the famous Bal des Pompiers* which takes place on the evening of La Fête Nationale* which, as you know, is le 14 juillet*.

So how did it all start?

In 1937, bystanders from main parade on the Champs Élysées followed some of the firemen back to their caserne* in Montmartre. The fire chief made the fateful decision to open the doors to that tenacious group and a party ensued.
More than 80 years later, the Bal des Pompiers is still going strong and is a much-anticipated annual event, perhaps even more so than the parade itself for les fêtards*, at least.

D’où vient le Bal des Pompiers? | Where does the Firemen’s Ball come from?

*The Firemen’s Ball | *Bastille Day | *on the 14th July | *fire station | *party animals

Bleu, blanc, rouge

Have you ever wondered why the French flag is bleu, blanc, rouge*?

Well, you may be wondering a little longer, as it seems even the French find it difficult to trouver un accord* on the matter.

Some say the white is the colour of the House of Bourbon, which ruled France from the late 16th century to the French Revolution. Red and blue are the traditional colours of Paris, with revolutionaries wearing red and blue cockades on their hats when they stormed the Bastille in 1789.

Other suggest the three colours represent la liberté*, l'égalité* and la fraternité*, the French motto.

For some, it's bleu for la bourgeoisie*, blanc for la monarchie* and rouge for la révolution*.

A more romantique* take has the colours drawing inspiration from flowers: blue for cornflowers, white for marguerites and red for poppies.

Plus compliqué* than we might have thought art first, non?*?

*blue, white, red | *to come to an agreement | *freedom | *equality | *brotherhood | *the bourgeoisie | *the monarchy | *the revolution | *romantic | *More complicated | *isn't it?