Epiphany in France

               

On January 3rd, it was Epiphany day in France. Every year, people celebrate this event. How do they celebrate it ? What is the origin of this celebration ?

History of epiphany

It was a pagan celebration. Romans made this celebration up in the name of Saturnales, it lasted 7days. Soldiers drew lot, with a bean, a death row inmate. This one became a king and at the end of the Saturnales, he was executed. A young soldier was elected to be a king and could execute whoever he wanted. The master and a slave exchanged their role during this time. 

The 4th century, Christians adopted this feast and began to honor the Magi, the second Sunday after Christmas. In 1875, they replaced the bean by a porcelain figurine in cakes. 

Nowadays

In France, the famous galette des rois is eaten for this event. The Epiphany takes place the first Sunday of January. It exists a variety of galettes. But the most famous is the one made with puff pastry and filled with almond powder and inside there is the figurine that French people label la fève.The real tradition is that the youngest of the family sits under the table and tells which portion of the galette will be for someone. The person who finds the figurine, will have the crown, is the king or the queen and chooses her king or his queen.

 

The Epiphany day also marks the end of the greeting season. People takes Christmas decoration and Christmas tree off.

Different galette des rois

you could find a lot of  varieties of these galettes, but the most bought are:

                                     
     
- brioches
- frangipane galettes
- apple galettes

I can't complete this article without speaking to you of the galette des rois from Franche-Comté, my native shire. It is a galette which was created in XIV th century. It is made with choux pastry (pâte à choux) and with a bit of orange blossom liquid. Obviously, you insert a figurine inside it.

                                                    

Childhood memories at Christmas time

Today, it will be a more personal post, I am going to tell about my childhood at Christmas time. My sibling and I were waiting for this event with impatience. Christmas was always on holidays. At this time, it was a real winter, it snowed a lot. With my friends and my cousins, we shifted the snowy slodes, do batlles of snow or made snowmen. When we came at home, we were very wet but very happy.

The day before Christmas, we were very excited thinking of the celebration and receiving presents. When the night came, after the Christmas mass, our  guests (our relatives) came and ate with us. It was a really good ambience. My uncles and my faher sang, told some comic stories. They also disguised made short sketches. It was so funny! The diner was traditional: toasts of sturgeon eggs, toasts of butter prawns,  turkeys with chestnuts,  and the best of the diner: the Christmas roller.

When midnight approached, my father and my uncles  took all children with them to have a round by car. Inside the car, we sang Christmas songs. Meanwhile, my mother and my aunts put presents down the Christmas tree. When we came back at home, my mother said that Santa visited the house and gave gifts. We believed that. We were very pleased to remove the paper to discover our presents. We said thank you and wished a merry Christmas to grown-ups.  We played with our new toys until the sleep came carry us. The 25 of december, it is another lunch with family but it was quieter.

A week later, we renewed the celebration for the new year's day but without presents. We also enjoyed. Thebfirst day of the new year, some people in the village or some relatives visited  us to wish a new year's day or we visited them. But this tradition is over, it is just relatives who come to visit.

French Christmas tradition

It is Christmas time and I take the opportunity to talk about the French traditions of Christmas.

At Christmas time

Public places

Almost one month before, people are already bathed in the Christmas mood. Streets are alighted by Christmas lights and Christmas trees takes place on main places. You can hear Christmas songs and New Year's songs. Christmas market take place in cities. There are some famous such as Strasbourg, Montbéliard, Amiens, Reims, Avignon, Lyon, Marseille and Paris in the "Champs Elysée". When you pass stores, shop windows are decorated and inside too.

Houses

People decorate the interior of their house and fir. They set the crib. Outside, they also decorate their house with light trings.

The celebration of Christmas

 At Christmas eve, children put their shoes under the Christmas tree waiting for midnight. They hope to meet  le "Père Noël" who will fill shoes of gifts and chocolates. In the past, children had only an orange as presents. The hosts dress a nice table with decorations and confectioneries. At the beginning of the evening, people go to the church and after they have a diner. At midnight, they wish to each other a happy Christmas and offer presents. About children, either they go to bed if they are very young and will find out their gifts the morning of Christmas or /and for older kids, they receive their presents at midnight. At Christmas day, a big lunch is also given.


What do french people eat traditionally ?

Traditionally, French people eat at this celebration and at new year day diners these meals :

Starter


The foie gras is made with a goose's liver. Most of people love eating it.




                              Seafoods eaten with the mayonnaise, it is very good.




Oysters with a juice of lemon gives a good taste. Lot of people love that.




                                                                          Coquilles saint-Jacques







Snails is a famous meal in France. There are a lot of recepe from snails. When they are presented with their shell, we use a spoon-like forceps in odrer to extract easily the snails.









Main dishes

Turkey with chestnuts,

Duck breast (Magret de canard)








Desserts

Roller of Christmas

Two types: pastry roller of Christmas that made with sponge cake and butter cream and the second option it is the iced roller of Christmas.






confectioneries

Children and as well grown-ups like to taste chocolate or fruit pastes or nuts.
The most popular are "les papillotes" that are made with chocolate or fruit pastes wrapped in glossy paper. But you can find "marrons glacés" (iced chestnuts). They are cooked chestnuts that were macerated in a sirup during several hours. Chocolate truffles and shortbreads are very appreciated too.

    



 

There is so much dishes that i can't dress a long list.

Let's cook ! La salade niçoise

This salad is typically french. It comes from Nice, city in the south of the France. you can find different varieties of this salad. I propose you the authentic one.

- 10 tomatoes
- 4 eggs
- 12 marinated anchovy fillet
- an oil can of tuna
- 2 handfuls Nice olives (small salty black olives)
- 2 spring onions (scallions)
- 1 bunch of radishies
- olive oil
- salt, pepper
- vinegar

You can add too:
2 small green peppers, 300 g of broad beans, 1 cucumber (optional), minced basil.

How to prepare it:

Eggs cook 10 minutes in boiling water.Hull and cut them into quarters.

Wash tomatoes and cut them into pieces. Arrange them on the bottom of the dish. You can lay them on green tomatoes.

Add the drained tuna after.

Wash the vegetables (radishes, peppers, spring onions). Slice the peppers, spring onions and the radishes. Shell the fava beans. Add them to the salad.

On the top, arrange nicely anchovies and olives. Optionally add the chopped basil. Put the salad into the fridge.

Prepare the vinaigrette: olive oil, vinegar, salt and pepper. Season just before serving.

If you want to add cucumber, put them in the salad bowl at the last moment, or use them separately so they don't make water.

I saw that recipe at the website:
http://www.gralon.net/articles/gastronomie-et-alimentation/alimentation/article-la-salade-nicoise---la-vraie-recette-2975.htm

French meals

Eating is very important for french people. We can account 3 meals with one or two collations per day. It is very diversified and people could stay a long time at the table above all at holiday meals.

Breakfast

In the morning, almost french people take a breakfast. The traditional one is composed by a coffee or coffee with milk, sliced bread and on the top, people spread butter or jam or both. They eat too the famous croissant. But habits have changed and we can see more people drink tea (a bit), orange juice, but the coffee remains the most widely. Some take cereals with milk.

Children drink hot chocolate or juice and eat a wide range of cereals, puffed rice, all washed down with milk. Some tastes pastries.

Lunch and diner

With the lifestyle, french people eat meals which don't require a long preparation, because women like men usually work and they must cook and eat quickly. But at weekend, they take their time to cook and eat. They take a starter (usually cold) or a soup at autumn and winter. Starters are either cold, either hot. About cold one, they eat mainly tomatoes, cucumbers, carrots usually drizzled with vinaigrette sauce or mayonnaise.
The main meal will be vegetables, pasta, potatoes, or rice... with meat or fish. They appreciate green salad and cheese. At last, they eat the dessert: yogurt, a fruit, smashed fruits, custard.

Collations

It is a small meal waiting for lunch or diner. Normally it is a drink (hot or cold) with a fruit, a biscuit, a yogurt or a croissant. After school, children take a collation.

Holiday meals

They last a long time. First, because there are a lot of meals to eat, secondly, french people love to stay on table speaking, debating. they usually begin by a appetizer. Then, from two to three starters (cold and hot), as much as main menus as starters. Come green salad and cheese. A dessert to close the lunch or the diner with a coffee or a tea. Some could have an infusion if it is on evening. The dessert could be an apple pie, french pastries, cakes, custard.