[Culturechat] French Easter facts
Kim Paschen
kim.paschen@untours.com
Wed, 27 Mar 2002 16:56:16 -0500
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For all you fellow Francophiles...
I came across this article in my weekly Bonjour Paris e-newsletter. It=20
explains the French variations on some upcoming holidays. Enjoy!
Kim Paschen
French Team
Flying Bells, April Fish, and Large Pink Bunnies
by Christiann Anderson
March 2002
Easter--In France they call it P=E2ques, and for several weeks prior to this=
=20
holiday, shop windows are decorated in a glorious collection of white and=20
dark chocolate rabbits, chickens, bells and fish. In fact, bells and fish=20
are an important part of the French Easter tradition.
Poisson d'Avril: Chocolate Fish make their appearance on April 1st, when=20
French children play their version of the 'April Fool's'' prank by sticking=
=20
a paper fish to the back of the nearest adult, they then run away yelling=20
Poisson d'Avril! Literally, =91=91fish of April''. This French version dates=
=20
back several centuries. It is believed that the original fish trick=20
involved sending the =91'victim'' to the market to buy freshwater fish when=
=20
it was out of season. Hence, the April Fish =91'fool'' and the evolution of=
a=20
mischievous trick.
The chocolate-inspired window displays in Paris during Easter are so=20
glorious that it would be easy to think that the French actually invented=20
chocolate. They did not. However, they do take the art of chocolate making=
=20
and the appreciation of this intoxicating confection to its highest level.=
=20
The French seem to have a chocolate mold for every season. From Valentine's=
=20
Day to Christmas, this flavoured cacao never goes out of fashion in the=20
City of Light.
Cloche Volant (Flying Bells): It is believed, in French Catholic tradition,=
=20
that on Good Friday, all the church bells in the country fly to Rome=20
carrying with them the misery and grief of those who mourn Jesus'=20
crucifixion on that day. These air-born bells return on Easter morning in=20
celebration of Jesus' resurrection, bringing with them chocolate and eggs.=
=20
These ''goodies'' are left in gardens for French children to hunt when they=
=20
awake. Subsequently, no bells in France ring from Good Friday to Easter=20
morning.
Most of my American friends in the US find this French tradition of bells=20
and fish, a very strange concept indeed. Yet most of us from North America=
=20
grew up believing in a large bunny rabbit that would hop into our home,=20
while we slept, to deposit jellybeans, and chocolate eggs in a large basket=
=20
filled with cellophane grass. Mr. Bunny would either leave our baskets at=20
the foot of our beds, or in a spectacular display on the dinning room=20
table. Therefore, instead of the flying bells from France filling our=20
gardens with goodies, it was a gregarious, burrowing, leporid mammal doing=
=20
the job.
When I was a child, decorating Easter Eggs was as exciting to me as waiting=
=20
for Santa Claus at Christmas. Easter television programmes were always old=
=20
film =91'epics'' such as The Ten Commandments or The Song of Bernadette,=20
while, in the kitchen, large pots of boiling water filled the house with=20
steam. The cooking of Easter eggs was the only part of the holiday that the=
=20
adults controlled. Except for cleaning up all the spilled egg dye that did=
=20
not make it onto the dozens of hard cooked ovals. In addition to the=20
creating the many egg-theme meals that magically appeared on Easter Monday.=
=20
Such as Devilled Eggs, and the infamous, egg-salad sandwiches. Thanks to=20
all those beautifully coloured eggs we prepared for Mr. Bunny. Oddly, I do=
=20
not recall ever actually eating these eggs. My focus was on the chocolate=20
version.
Egg dying material was rather limited in mid-1960. But, for a few nickels,=
=20
our parents purchased a small yellow box of coloured dye. All the packages=
=20
contained primary colours and came with a little =91'egg-holder'' that=20
suspiciously resembled a bent wire coat hanger. For a few extra cents, you=
=20
could buy decals of little rabbits and baby chicks to stick on the eggs. If=
=20
you were artistic in any way, wrapping a rubber band around your egg,=20
before dipping, created a =91'wild'' pattern that made your egg a very=20
special work of art. When I shared this story with my American friend=20
Karen, and her eight-year-old daughter Marla, who was born and raised in=20
Paris; Marla threw her head back in raucous laughter and left the room=20
wiping the tears from her eyes. Karen, on the other hand, had a look of=20
fond nostalgia and a smile.
This year I suggested to Karen that we get together with all of our=20
American friends and their French children and celebrate Easter and the=20
spring with a mixture of American tradition with a French flair. The adults=
=20
will share their fond memories of past celebrations and the true meaning of=
=20
Easter with the children. The children will tell the adults what spring=20
means to them and share stories and laughter with their friends. Then we=20
shall all give thanks for the exultant joys of spring, our appreciation and=
=20
love of family and friends, and share a wonderful meal together. Dinner=20
will be followed by the beautiful bounty of chocolate eggs, rabbits, fish,=
=20
and bells; and Mr. Bunny will meet the Flying Bells for this first spring=20
of 2002 right here in Paris.
For more on Christiann Anderson, see her biography.
Copyright =A9 Paris New Media, LLC
To subscribe to the Bonjour Paris eNewsletter, send a blank email message=20
to bpnews-join@bparis.com.
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<html>
For all you fellow Francophiles...<br>
I came across this article in my weekly Bonjour Paris e-newsletter. It
explains the French variations on some upcoming holidays.
Enjoy!<br>
<br>
Kim Paschen<br>
French Team<br>
<br>
<br>
Flying Bells, April Fish, and Large Pink Bunnies<br>
by Christiann Anderson<br>
March 2002 <br>
<br>
Easter--In France they call it P=E2ques, and for several weeks prior to
this holiday, shop windows are decorated in a glorious collection of
white and dark chocolate rabbits, chickens, bells and fish. In fact,
bells and fish are an important part of the French Easter=20
tradition.<br>
<br>
Poisson d'Avril: Chocolate Fish make their appearance on April 1st, when
French children play their version of the 'April Fool's'' prank by
sticking a paper fish to the back of the nearest adult, they then run
away yelling Poisson d'Avril! Literally, =91=91fish of April''. This French
version dates back several centuries. It is believed that the original
fish trick involved sending the =91'victim'' to the market to buy
freshwater fish when it was out of season. Hence, the April Fish =91'fool''
and the evolution of a mischievous trick.<br>
<br>
The chocolate-inspired window displays in Paris during Easter are so
glorious that it would be easy to think that the French actually invented
chocolate. They did not. However, they do take the art of chocolate
making and the appreciation of this intoxicating confection to its
highest level. The French seem to have a chocolate mold for every season.
=46rom Valentine's Day to Christmas, this flavoured cacao never goes out of
fashion in the City of Light.<br>
<br>
Cloche Volant (Flying Bells): It is believed, in French Catholic
tradition, that on Good Friday, all the church bells in the country fly
to Rome carrying with them the misery and grief of those who mourn Jesus'
crucifixion on that day. These air-born bells return on Easter morning in
celebration of Jesus' resurrection, bringing with them chocolate and
eggs. These ''goodies'' are left in gardens for French children to hunt
when they awake. Subsequently, no bells in France ring from Good Friday
to Easter morning.<br>
<br>
Most of my American friends in the US find this French tradition of bells
and fish, a very strange concept indeed. Yet most of us from North
America grew up believing in a large bunny rabbit that would hop into our
home, while we slept, to deposit jellybeans, and chocolate eggs in a
large basket filled with cellophane grass. Mr. Bunny would either leave
our baskets at the foot of our beds, or in a spectacular display on the
dinning room table. Therefore, instead of the flying bells from France
filling our gardens with goodies, it was a gregarious, burrowing, leporid
mammal doing the job.<br>
<br>
When I was a child, decorating Easter Eggs was as exciting to me as
waiting for Santa Claus at Christmas. Easter television programmes were
always old film =91'epics'' such as The Ten Commandments or The Song of
Bernadette, while, in the kitchen, large pots of boiling water filled the
house with steam. The cooking of Easter eggs was the only part of the
holiday that the adults controlled. Except for cleaning up all the
spilled egg dye that did not make it onto the dozens of hard cooked
ovals. In addition to the creating the many egg-theme meals that
magically appeared on Easter Monday. Such as Devilled Eggs, and the
infamous, egg-salad sandwiches. Thanks to all those beautifully coloured
eggs we prepared for Mr. Bunny. Oddly, I do not recall ever actually
eating these eggs. My focus was on the chocolate version.<br>
<br>
Egg dying material was rather limited in mid-1960. But, for a few
nickels, our parents purchased a small yellow box of coloured dye. All
the packages contained primary colours and came with a little
=91'egg-holder'' that suspiciously resembled a bent wire coat hanger. For a
few extra cents, you could buy decals of little rabbits and baby chicks
to stick on the eggs. If you were artistic in any way, wrapping a rubber
band around your egg, before dipping, created a =91'wild'' pattern that
made your egg a very special work of art. When I shared this story with
my American friend Karen, and her eight-year-old daughter Marla, who was
born and raised in Paris; Marla threw her head back in raucous laughter
and left the room wiping the tears from her eyes. Karen, on the other
hand, had a look of fond nostalgia and a smile.<br>
<br>
This year I suggested to Karen that we get together with all of our
American friends and their French children and celebrate Easter and the
spring with a mixture of American tradition with a French flair. The
adults will share their fond memories of past celebrations and the true
meaning of Easter with the children. The children will tell the adults
what spring means to them and share stories and laughter with their
friends. Then we shall all give thanks for the exultant joys of spring,
our appreciation and love of family and friends, and share a wonderful
meal together. Dinner will be followed by the beautiful bounty of
chocolate eggs, rabbits, fish, and bells; and Mr. Bunny will meet the
Flying Bells for this first spring of 2002 right here in Paris.<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
For more on Christiann Anderson, see her biography.<br>
<br>
Copyright =A9 Paris New Media, LLC<br>
<font size=3D2><i>To subscribe to the Bonjour Paris eNewsletter, send a
blank email message to
</font><font size=3D2=
color=3D"#0000FF"><u>bpnews-join@bparis.com</font></u><font size=3D2>.
<br>
<br>
</font></i><br>
<br>
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=3D</div>
<div>Untours - Independent Travel With Support!</div>
<div>Tel.: 888-UNTOUR-1 Web:
<<a href=3D"http://www.untours.com/"=
EUDORA=3DAUTOURL>www.untours.com</a>></div>
<br>
<div>Join IdyllChat, an email discussion group on European=20
travel!</div>
<div>Visit:
<<a href=3D"http://www.untours.com/idyllchat/"=
EUDORA=3DAUTOURL>www.untours.com/idyllchat/</a>></div>
<br>
<div>"Most Generous Company in America, 1999" awarded by
Newman's</div>
<div>Own & George magazine. For information on the Idyll
Development</div>
<div>Foundation, visit:
<<a href=3D"http://www.untours.com/idf"=
EUDORA=3DAUTOURL>www.untours.com/idf</a>></div>
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