Poisson d'avril!

Poisson d'avril. What does it mean?

On April 1st, above all children make pranks and stick at the back of someone a fish made in paper. When the fish is discovered, the child who sticked the fish say "poisson d'avril!" and it is the same for pranks.

I have never wondered where does it come from this tradition. As I am curious, I made a research about the origin.

We don't know exactly the real story. A lot of versions were told. The most known remains that Charles IX, in 1564, instaured the first day of year was on January 1st instead of on April 1st.  On April 1st everybody used to offer gift each other. The pope Gregoire XIII spread the gregorian calendar to Christian nations in 1582. From January 1st 1565, was the new year day.

Why this day became a foolish day?

Some people met difficulties to remember the new year day and some ignored the reform (No TV, no Internet at that time! 😉). They carried on celebrating the new year day on April 1st. To mock at them, some guys made jokes or hung a fish at the back of their victim. When the fish was found out the jokers shouted "Poisson d'avril"! They also made fake presents.

 

Why a fish?

Once again, I read different stories. One told that fishing were not allowed due to the reproduction of fish and it was a period which was benefit for fishers. 

The other told that fish is a symbol of the end of fasting (careme). It was forbidden at this period to eat meat for christians. Prankers offered fake fish. the fish was the graphic symbol of Christianism, a sign of recognition. It is made wich two arks. Fish "poisson" would come from the corruption of passion "passion". A corruption is a phonetic transformation of a word.


 A few expressions about fish

Etre comme un poisson dans l'eau (to be like a fish in water): To feel well or to be at your ease in the place where you are or what you do.

Finir en queue de poisson (ending in fishtail): an event or a story which ends roughly and disappointingly.

Faire une queue de poisson (making a fish tail): turning down for a vehicle abruptly in front of the car which it just overtaken.

Noyer le poisson (drowing the fish): muddling up somebody

Avaler la mer et ses poissons (swallowing the sea and the fish inside): to have thirty a lot.

Engueuler quelqu'un comme du poisson pourri (calling somebody every name under the sun): to insult somebody or shouting after someone.

This is the link if you want to print and cut:
https://www.google.co.uk/search?biw=1280&bih=816&tbm=isch&sa=1&ei=ICO-WujgJsSLgAbWz5GgBw&q=poisson+d%27avril&oq=poisson+d&gs_l=psy-ab.1.3.0j0i67k1j0l8.3396.11962.0.17002.21.13.0.0.0.0.2438.3606.7-1j0j1.2.0....0...1c.1.64.psy-ab..19.2.3604....0.zMRwK2D2quQ#imgrc=FsyhoBEXRw_gdM:

Do not mingle son and sont

Son is a possessif adjective.
Son chat. Her/his cat.
If you have a doubt,  swap son by mon.
Mon chat.
Son is always in front of a noun.

Sont is a verb from être (its infinitive).
Ils sont jumeaux. They are twin.
To know if it is the right spelling, swap this by « étaient » (être conjugated in past tense).
Ils sont à Lyon. Ils étaient à Lyon.

Do you understand ? If you are some questions, don’t  hesitate to drop them in comments.


If ever you want to know more about French Grammar, this book will be useful

http://amzn.to/2DPAkhq

Valentine's day in France

On February 14th, lovers celabrate this day in several countries. Its origin comes from Great Britain in the XIVth century. This day was chosen because people thougt it was this day that birds mate. Valentin de Terni, a monk or a priest in the IIIrd century was martyrized under the imperor Claude IInd the gothic. He became the saint patron of lovers in 1496.

Love, a question of business?

Each year, a few weeks before the event, shops sell items concerning love: cards, hearts appears everywhere (on mugs, on clothes, underwears, on cushions....). You can see a lot of red in shops.
Chefs restaurateurs, florists, perfumers, jewellers take the opportunity to do the promotion of their goods or their menus. Even bakers make special cakes. It is a commercial celabration too.



In 2016, 24,8 millions of euros were been expended for flowers and other plants. Forists sells mostly roses and the favorite colour remains the red one.

Perfumes for women is a good business when it is Saint-Valentin day. In 2013, total sales recorded   80,7 millions € of sales revenues.

Underwears for women are a famous present too. If men offer underwear for their partner, women buy for themselves an underwear to wear for this event. A brand of this sector declares than his sales triple or quadruple during the week of  Saint Valentin.Chef restaurateurs are very happy. The rooms are full. tables are booked mainly by men. French spend from 40 to 100 euros per persons. A restaurant online sees bookings doubled quickly.

Unlike restaurants, master chocolatiers don't make a big sales revenues this day and travel agencies too.

         
                                     

And what about lovers?

It is a celabration which is waited by lovers. The fact to wish a happy Saint-Valentin makes happy and it is enough. But for some persons, they feel obliged to offer a gift in oder not to offense their partner. This event is celabrated different ways : with gift or without, a dinner at home or in a restaurant. That depends of the budget and of the character of each.

La sainte Catherine

 

Catherine Day is celebrated every year on November 25th. It is the day for non-married girl and for little girl. It appeared on Xth century. This day is celebrated in France and other countries like in England, Estonia, Belgium, Canada. It is a commeration of Catherine of Alexandrie a city in Egypt.

Catherine of Alexandrie

She was born around on 290. She was very devoted and very clever. The emperor made a pass at the young girl but she wasn't interested of him. She told that she married to God. The emperor was very furious and ordered to behead her. The legend said that a milk sank instead of blood. She died at the age of 18.





The celebration in France

At the North of France, little girls send each other cards for this day. Young ladies who aren't still married at 25, wear a hat and hope to meet a man as her futur husband. In cities in France (not all), a fair is given and you can find some young ladies with a hat. Green and yellow colours are chosen by a majority of young ladies for their hat. These colours are symbolic. Green symbolizes the hope and the yellow means the wisdom. They are called les Catherinettes.

At this event, there are some traders exposing their goods, some retailer offering drinks, sandwiches, hot dogs, cakes... and the traditional ginger bread pig with a whistle as a tail.











In the past, single ladies told some praise according their age requesting to God to them a husband.

At 25: « Donnez-moi, Seigneur, un mari de bon lieu! Qu'il soit doux, opulent, libéral et agréable! »
Give me, my Lord, a husband from a good society!  He be a  gentle man, liberal and pleasant!

After 25: « Seigneur, un qui soit supportable, ou qui, parmi le monde, au moins puisse passer! » .
Lord, one who be bearable, or, among the world, be able to pass at least.

After 30: « Un tel qu'il te plaira Seigneur, je m'en contente ! ».
one who will please you, I will be satisfied.

A poem of Sainte-Catherine

« Sainte Catherine, soyez bonne

Nous n'avons plus d'espoir

qu'en vous

Vous êtes notre patronne

Ayez pitié de nous

Nous vous implorons à genoux

Aidez-nous à nous marier

Pitié, donnez-nous un époux

Car nous brûlons d'aimer

Daignez écouter la prière

De nos cœurs fortement épris

Oh, vous qui êtes notre mère

Donnez-nous un mari »

I collected praises and the poem from Wikipedia.

jobs - les métiers

Introducing yourself is to tell, as well, what you do in the life.


There are some expressions.



Qu'est-ce que tu fais dans la vie ? What do you do in the life?
or:
- quelle est ta profession ? What is your profession?
- quel est ton métier ? What is your job?
- tu fais quoi dans la vie ?  You do what in the life? (familiar)

For a man:Je suis professeur. I am a teacher.
Je suis boulanger. I am a baker.
Je suis électricien. I am an electrician.
Je suis architecte. I am an architect.

For a woman, we have to add "e" at the end of the word. That gives:

Je suis commerçante. I am a trader.
Je suis chirurgienne. I am a surgeon.
Je suis assistante. I am an assistant.

Sometimes, we have to change the suffix.

Words ending by eur -> trice or euse      Acteur - Actrice     Coiffeur - Coiffeuse
                            ien -> ienne                 Electricien - Electricienne
                            ier -> ière                     Epicier- Epicière 
                            er  -> ère                      Boulanger - Boulangère

You can find some jobs which the gender is mixed because the word ends by "e".
Un architecte- une architecte (architect)
Un dentiste - une dentiste (dentist)
Un détective - une détective (detective)

Some jobs stays in masculin even if it is a woman who practise this job.

Un médecin - une femme médecin (but if you want to write to her, you have to write Madame le médecin)










Un professeur - une femme professeur (but if you want to write to her, you have to write Madame le professeur)
In the familiar language, you can say "la prof".

Un pompier - une femme pompier.










Other jobs in this same case: écrivain (une femme écrivain), ingénieur (une femme ingénieur), plombier (une femme plombier), pilote (une femme pilote).
Writer, ingineer, plumber, pilot.

Show me if you understood:
http://users.skynet.be/providence/vocabulaire/francais/metier/met1.htm


Did you find it easy?






I have found this exercice from 
http://ticsenfle.blogspot.co.uk/2014/10/les-metiers-vocabulaire-activites.html






.

recipe of mardi-gras doughnuts (recette des beignets de carnaval)

Tomorrow, it will be Mardi-gras. As I told you in my last article about Mardi-gras traditions, in every household, you can find Mardi-gras doughnuts. If you want to taste them, I am giving to you the recipe. 

For about 40 doughnuts

Ingredients

   500g flour (500g de farine)

  100g melted butter, 90 g sugar (100g de beurre fondu,90 g de sucre)


  3 eggs, 5tsp fresh creme, 1 pinch of salt (3 oeufs, 5 cuillères à café de crème fraîche, une pincée de sel)


  1packet of baking powder (= 15g), 1 tsp orange-flower water (1 paquet de levure chimique, 1 cuillère à café d'eau de fleur d'oranger)

1 lemon peel (1 zeste de citron)


Iced sugar (made by myself) (sucre glace, fait par moi-même)

Preparation

  
Mix all ingredients in a big bowl.
Mélangez tous les ingrédients dans un saladier.

 
                               

Knead well the pastry to get it smooth. 
Pétrissez bien la pâte pour la rendre lisse.
 
Leave the pastry during one hour at room temperature.
Laissez la pâte pendant une heure à température ambiante.
 
One hour later, spread it very thinly.
Une heure plus tard, étalez-la très finement.

 
Cut up the pastry making a shape: for example rectangle, triangle, circle, star, etc. My tips: Do a notch inside the doughnuts.
Découpez la pâte en faisant une forme : par exemple en rectangle, en triangle, en cercle, en étoile. Mes conseils : faites une entaille à l'intérieur des beignets.

Make the doughnuts frying in hot oil.
Faites frire les beignets dans de l'huile chaude. 

 
When fried, sprinkle them with iced sugar.
Quand ils sont cuits, saupoudrez de sucre glace.

Enjoy!