Apart from the January sales, and then only if I could find something I wanted and could afford, the after Christmas period in the UK used to be quite depressing for me. Twinkling village lights were more a symbol of how cold and alone I was as I drove home after work, than of communities with a life of their own, and the days didn't seem to get any longer until the end of the month at the earliest.
Here in France we find it very different. Firstly there is the importance of wishing EVERYONE a happy new year - something that can go on until the end of the month. Then there are the formal ceremonies for wishing people a happy new year - first the President does his, then the Government visit him and present their wishes and after than mayors and elected leaders all over the country are making New Year's wishes to their voters. Particularly in the villages, these ceremonies are taken very seriously, with formal gatherings noted in the papers, people dressing up smartly to go along, listening politely to the words of their elected leaders and then sipping cremant and nibbling on small sweet things. The one for our village was this morning and it was great to see people, interesting to hear the news, including changes in the village staffing, and it was a very fine cremant.
Finally, there is the whole question of gallettes. Epiphany is either counted as the first Sunday of the New Year or (more properly in my view) the 6th January. Whatever date it is, there are gatherings to eat gallette and find the feve and crown the king or queen (who ever finds the feve or bean). Gallettes come in a variety of flavours and types - most common around here are the brioche-style ones, where you are given a HUGE slice, but it is very light and fluffy or the frangipane ones, which are two layers of flakey pastry with a rich mixture of almond paste in between. For the month of January, any gathering is blessed with eating gallette - next weekend we have two bouts of that, with the Comite des Fetes AGM and with the walking group. It makes January that much more special.
One of the local bakers has upped the ante this year and on Epiphany itself was selling gallettes where the feve (normally a small porcelain figurine - highly collectable I'm told) was taking the form of a small gold coin. How special was that?
How lovely that all those traditions are surviving in France - here ours are slowly being eroded, as we mustn't do anything which might 'offend' immigrants!!
Posted by: Anne Donald | 10 January 2010 at 07:29 PM
As an immigrant to France, I love these old traditions, and am not at all offended by them. I think sometimes in the UK, not offending people is seen as an excuse for not celebrating the best parts of our own nationalities. When we lived in Worcester, we celebrated English things, Pakistani things, Italian things, Indian things - it made the year more special. A Hindu friend of mine said she would celebrate all holidays of any ethnicity or religion, as it made life more fun!
On the subject of the bakers with the gold coins in their gallettes - Madame Lemaitre was in the top ten Maine et Loire Brioche style gallettes in the departmental competition this weekend. Felicitations!
Posted by: Jane | 11 January 2010 at 09:02 AM