les fêtes en france. what is the first month of the year? janvier!

Les Fêtes en France

What is the first month of the year?

janvier!

janvier

Le Jour de l’An: le 1er janvierOn New Year’s Eve, French people gather with

their friends and family to celebrate the new year. In Paris, people go to Les Champs-Elysées to

watch fireworks, les feux d’artifice.

janvier

Le Jour de l’An: le 1er janvier

janvierLe Jour de l’An: le 1er janvier

• Adults usually exchange New Year’s gifts today. The French call New Year’s gifts “les étrennes”

• Les étrennes usually consist of money or small gifts.• They extend wishes of “Bonne Année” (Happy New

Year) and “Bonne Santé” (Good Health) to family, friends and neighbors.

• The French usually eat a meal with family• Throughout the month of January, the French send

cards of good wishes to those people that they didn’t see during the holidays.

La vielle du Nouvel An( “La Saint-Sylvestre”):Le 31 decembre

decembre/ janvier

decembre/ janvier• is usually celebrated with a feast (le Réveillon

de la Saint-Sylvestre)

• The feast is shared with family and friends or it is eaten at une soirée dansante, a much fancier ball.

• This feast customarily includes special dishes including foie gras, seafood such as oysters, and champagne.

Le Jour des Rois / EpiphanieDay of the Kings / Epiphany)

• This holiday takes place on the 1st Sunday after New Year’s Day or on January 6th

• The French eat a cake with a “fève,” which is a bean or small figurine, baked into it. These cakes are called une couronne des rois (crown of kings) or a galette (buckwheat pancake). The person who finds the fève becomes king or queen for the day. He or she wears a paper crown and often takes responsibility for buying a new cake for the others to enjoy.

What month is after janvier?

février!

FévrierLa Chandeleur: le 2 février

In the past, this Catholic holiday was known as La Fête des Chandelles, or the Feast of the Candles in which people used

to light candles to commemorate the purification of the Virgin Mary and the presentation of baby Jesus.

*La Fête de la Lumière

*Jour des crêpes.

*Candlemas (en anglais)

Février

La Chandeleur: le 2 févrierToday, people eat crêpes which are

like thin, soft pancakes.

FévrierLa Chandeleur: le 2 février

févrierLa Saint Valentin: le 14 février

La Saint-Valentin is the holiday for those in love, la Fête des Amoreux. On this day, the French give chocolates and Valentine cards.

What month is after février?

mars!

marsLe Carnival

The date of Carnival can fall anywhere between February 3 and March 9, depending on the lunar calendar.

marsLe Carnival

marsLe Carnival

Mardi Gras is celebrated in many countries throughout the world. Generally, it is accepted that the colors of Mardi Gras are Le Violet, Le Vert, and L’Or (doré)L’Or (doré).

Le Violet = La Justice

Le Vert = La Foi (Faith)

L’Or L’Or = Le Pouvoir

What month is after mars?

avril!

AvrilLe Poisson d’Avril: le 1er avril

There are many stories describing the history of Le Poisson d’Avril. It is a day for jokes, much like the American holiday for April Fool’s Day.

Do you know what poisson means?

Fish!

Why fish? April is when fish reproduce.


*Tchoupi et Doudou cartoon

Do you know what other holiday is celebrated in April?

Pâques!

Avril

Can you guess what Pâques means?

Pâques = Easter!

Les Pâques: le 3e dimanche d’avril

Avril

For Christians, Pâques is a holiday celebrated to remember the resurrection of Jesus.

Avril

In France, some of the traditions for Pâques are the same as the traditions for Easter in the

United States.

Avril

A typical traditional holiday activity, like in the U.S. is to paint eggs.

Avril

In the U.S., Americans often use vinegar and dye to color hard-boiled eggs.

Avril

In France, however, people often empty the eggs by using a needle to put a hole in the egg,

without breaking it. Once it is emptied and cleaned, they decorate the egg using paint.

MaiLa Fête des Mères: le dernier dimanche de mai

What do you think La Fête des Mères means?

La Fête des Mères = Mother’s Day!

MaiLa Fête des Mères: le dernier dimanche de mai

On La Fête des Mères, people give presents to their mothers, and perhaps even their grandmothers. It is a day devoted to spending time with the family.

JuinLa Fête des Pères: le 3e dimanche de juin

If La Fête des Mères is Mother’s Day, what do you think La Fête des Pères means?

That’s Right!

La Fête des Pères = Father’s Day?

Juin

In June, students begin studying for the Baccalauréat.

The Baccalauréat is a very difficult exam that seniors in high school must

pass in order to graduate.

What month is after juin?

Juillet!

juillet

• La Fête Nationale du Canada: le 1er juillet

• C’est l’anniversaire du Canada!

• In 1867, the Constitution Act united three colonies into a single country called Canada within the British Empire.

juillet

• La Fête Nationale du Canada: le 1er juillet• celebrations for Canada

Day usually consist of outdoor public events: parades, carnivals, festivals, barbecues, air and maritime shows, fireworks, and free musical concerts

Snowbirds in Ottowa, Canada

JuilletLa Fête Nationale: le 14 Juillet (1789)

Le 14 juillet commemorates the storming of la Bastille in 1789. La Fête Nationale is

often called Bastille Day in English.


Bastille Day is the French symbol of the end of the Monarchy and the beginning of

the Republic.


La Bastille was a prison which held political prisoners such as Rousseau.


The storming of La Bastille became the

symbol of liberty and democracy in the struggle against

oppression.


Le 14 juillet 1789 is the date of the French Revolution, La Révolution Française.

Today, le 14 juillet is Independence Day.


On this day, there is a procession in

Les Champs-Elysées and fireworks.

JuilletLa Tour de France

Juillet is also the month in which La Tour de France begins!

What do you already know about La Tour de France?

Juillet

La Tour de France is a cycle race that tours all

of France.

La Tour de France

What month is after juillet?

Août!

Août

In Août, many people go on vacation.

Les Vacances

La Voiture

Le TrainL’Avion

AoûtLes Vacances

AoûtLes Vacances

Travelers beware…août is also a time of strikes.

strike = la grève

What month is after août?

Séptembre!

SéptembreLa Rentrée Scolaire

What do you think la rentrée means?

In English, la rentrée refers to “back to school”?


During la rentrée, students in France get ready for a new school year.

At this time, young people are often concerned with la mode.


La mode simply means fashion.

When have you seen la mode in

the past?


Let’s take a look at a high school in France.

To visit Lycée Robert Schuman in Metz, France, click on the following link:

http://www.ac-nancy-metz.fr/pres-etab/schuman/

What month is after Séptembre?

Octobre!

octobre

L’Action de grâce au Canada- Le 2e lundi en octobre

•L’origine de cette fête est identique aux États-Unis et au Canada. •Comme aux États-Unis et au Canada, ils organisent également de grandes fêtes pour rendre à Dieu la grâce, des prières, et des réjouissances pour les bonheurs que l’on avait pu recevoir pendant l’année..

Octobre

Halloween is not a traditional French holiday, but it is becoming more popular due to outside

influences.

Joyeuse Halloween!: le 31 octobre

Octobre

Today children sometimes dress in costumes and go to Halloween parties. Restaurants often

decorate to lure customers.

Halloween: le 31 octobre

What month is after octobre?

Novembre!

NovembreLa Toussaint: le 1er novembre

La Toussaint is known as All Saints’ Day in English.

On this day, French people honor the saints.

Notice how it translates: La Toussaint . La Tous-saint = All Saints


Traditionally, French people place chrysanthemums on the graves of their loved ones in the cemetery.


Christians also go to church on the day of La Toussaint.

NovembreL’Armistice/ Le Jour de Souvenir:

le 11 novembre

Many people visit the Arc de Triomphe daily, leaving flowers and wreaths to remember the

soldiers who have battled in war.

On le 11 novembre 1920, an unknown soldier was buried below the Arc de Triomphe.

Novembre

L’Armistice: le 11 novembre

NovembreL’Armistice/ Le Jour de Souvenir:

“Poppy Day”

The flower used to represent past and present war heroes.

What month is after novembre?

Décembre!

Décembre

• In Lyon, 8 December is la Fête de lumières, when Lyonnais pay hommage to the virgin Mary by putting candles in their windows which light up the town.

Le 8 décembre à Lyon: la fête de lumières

DécembreHanoucca: le 21 décembre

• For Jews, Hanoucca is an 8 day celebration that commemorates the miracle of the supply of oil that was only enough to light the Temple in Jerusalem for one day.

DécembreHanoucca: le 21 décembre

• Jewish families all around the world spend the fête cooking andj4 eating foods fried or baked in oil.

DécembreNoël: le 25 décembre

Noël is what English speakers call Christmas.

For Christians, it is a celebration of the birth Jesus.


On Christmas Eve, French people go to Christmas mass, la messe.


Le Réveillon is on the evening of the 24th after la messe.

During this time, families gather for a traditional meal.

A traditional meal for le Réveillon may include oysters, turkey, and a bûche de Noël.

Le 24 décembre: la veille de Noël - le Réveillon

• Although fewer and fewer French visit l’eglise for la Messe de Minuit on Christmas Eve, it is still an important part of Christmas for many families. It is followed by a huge feast, called le Réveillon (from the verb réveiller, to wake up or revive). Le Réveillon is a symbolic awakening to the meaning of Christ's birth and is the culinary high point of the season, which may be enjoyed at home or in a restaurant or café that is open all night.

Each region of France has traditional Réveillon Foods

• Alsace = goose• Bourgogne (Burgundy) = Turkey with

chestnuts• Paris = Oysters and paté de foie gras.• South of France = Le pain calendeau.

Christmas loaf of which, part is given to a poor person.

• Throughout France = Boudin Blanc. A white pudding.


A bûche de Noël is a special cake that is rolled up and shaped like a log.

Sometimes there are even sugar mushrooms and moss!


Is Santa Claus in France?

Yes, he is.

He is called Père Noël, Father Christmas.


If children behave well all year long, Père Noël

brings presents!

Children place their shoes by the fireplace to be filled

by Père Noël .


Traditionally, these shoes are wooden shoes

called les sabots.


If children behave badly, however, they may get a

visit from Père Fouettard who may bring sticks for

the parents!


Today, many French people decorate a

Christmas tree called an arbre de Noël.


They also decorate with a

crèche, or a nativity

scene.

DécembreLa vielle du Nouvel An: le 31 décembre

They also decorate with a

crèche, or a nativity

scene.

Write in your vocab book

• Bonne Saint-Valentin - Happy Valentine’s Day

• Bonnes vacances - have a good holiday

• Joyeuses Pâques - Happy Easter

• Joyeux Noël - Merry Christmas

• Bonne année - Happy New Year

les fêtes en france. what is the first month of the year? janvier!

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