Mardi Gras In Nice And Similar Carnaval Celebrations In Other French Cities

Every year on or immediately after the Feast of the Epiphany until the eve of Ash Wednesday, many cities around the world go on a celebration popularly called Mardi Gras. The Mardi Gras celebration is one of festive mood, during which lots of merrymaking take place. There are dancing and parades on the streets with people wearing costumes and masks. Sports competitions are also held elsewhere.

Mardi Gras traces its origin in the city of Nice in France. The term "Mardi Gras" is French for "Fat Tuesday", coined to refer to the final night of indulging in rich foods prior to the start of the Lenten season (Ash Wednesday) during which fasting is a religious obligation.

History has it that the French city of Nice was the first to hold Carnival (Carnaval in French) festivities. This was in 1294. The festivities included activities commonly witnessed in a circus, such as mimes, jugglers, bonfires and balls, to name a few. People only need to wear masks and come in costumes in order to participate. The Nice Carnaval became very popular that people from all over the world began visiting the city during this time of the year.

Today, Mardi Gras in Nice is celebrated over a period of ten days. The streets come to life during this period, with parades featuring costumed people on flower-decked floats. Other fun-filled events are lined up during the day. When night falls, spectacular light displays illuminate the city.

Other cities in France hold festivities similar to Mardi Gras. Here are some of them:

1. Carnaval de Granville - This is held in Granville, France during the period when Mardi Gras in Nice is celebrated. The first celebration of this Carnaval took place in 1872. Back then, the feast was dedicated to fishermen as a sendoff ceremony prior to their new adventure out in the waters.

2. Carnaval de Bailleul - This celebration takes place in the town of Bailleul near France's border with Belgium. It's been an annual celebration here since 1853.

3. Carnaval des deux rives - The port city of Bordeaux is host to this annual celebration. Simultaneous celebrations (of the same Carnival) in at least twelve other cities around the world take place in the same period that the Bordeaux Carnival is held.

4. Carnaval de Jargeau - This celebration is held in the small town of Jargeau near the Loire river in central France.

5. Carnaval de Nantes - Close to half a million people attend this annual celebration, which is held in the city of Nantes in western France.

6. Carnaval de Pézenas - A festival celebration held annually in the town of Pézenas.

7. Carnaval de Vitré - A yearly celebration in the city of Vitré.

Of course, the French capital city of Paris holds its own Mardi Gras every year. It's called Carnaval de Paris, considered one of Europe's major festivals since the 16th century. The Carnival takes place after the Fête des Fous (Feast of Fools), which occurs between Christmas and the Feast of the Epiphany.

Le Jour De L'An: New Year Celebration In France

France celebrates New Year on January 1 like many other countries do. The beginning of a new year, which is "le Jour de l'An" in French, is a highly anticipated occasion that is observed with festivities. Among these is the customary holding of a feast, referred to as "le Réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre".

The term "la Saint-Sylvestre" actually refers to New Year's Eve (December 31). Hence, the le Réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre feast is a grand celebration the French host to mark the closing of an old year and the birth of another. Special dishes, such as foie gras (fattened goose liver), are aplenty during this time; so are various kinds of drinks including the very popular sparkling white wine "champagne" and the equally famous hot wine "vin chaud". At the stroke of midnight, family members and friends kiss under "le gui" (the mistletoe).

Fireworks are common, especially on the streets of Paris. These have become an important part of the New Year celebration in this city, which is helped a lot by the fact that fireworks are legally sold and bought here.

The celebration can be a simple get-together of family members over dinner or a more extravagant formal gathering of families and friends called "une soiree" (literally, an evening gathering). Traditional activities include exchanging of "les etrennes" (New Year's gifts) and even of "une bonne resolution" (New Year's resolutions). People greet each other excitedly on the streets, give greeting cards and other goodies, all meant to usher in a prosperous new year.

In Bordeaux and other cities and villages in southwest France, people hear mass in the evening and join the torchlight procession that ends in the vineyards, where people pick grapes and enjoy some mulled wine. In the southern city of Avignon, the famous "Illuminations Tour and Dinner" is a fully-booked activity at this time.

Festivities in the capital city of Paris are held with the participation of thousands of entertainers, singers and dancers. These festivities, actually a two-day parade, go through several streets, proceed through the city's metropolitan area of Chantilly on December 31, and end at the Champ de Mars (right under the Eiffel Tower) the following day (January 1).

New Year songs are heard all over, such as "Choral des Adieux", the equivalent of the Scottish poem-turned-folk song "Auld Lang Syne". Two other songs popularly sung during this occasion are "Toast pour le nouvel An" ("Toast to the New Year") and "La chanson du Nouvel-An" ("Song of the New Year").

Taking a cruise has become a popular way of celebrating New Year in France of late. Cruise choices (reservations should be made at least one month before New Year) include tours of the canals and rivers of France, a tour of the northern part of the country on the Seine beginning at Paris and ending at Normandy (this is ideal for couples), or of the southern part on the Saone and Rhone starting at Lyon and terminating at Provence.

The conclusion of all celebrations of le Jour de l'An is on the feast of the Epiphany (January 6). Here, a special cake, called "la galette des rois" (king's cake) is cut and shared among family members and friends.

La Toussaint And Le Jour Des Morts

...French Celebration Of Two Related Holidays

Catholics around the world celebrate All Saints' Day on November 1 every year. This is followed by their observance of All Souls' Day on November 2. While these two holidays are related to each other, only the former is celebrated as a public holiday in many countries, including France.

France observes "La Toussaint" (All Saints' Day), a holy day of obligation, in honor of all the saints recognized by the Roman Catholic Church. On the other hand, "Le Jour des Morts" (All Souls' Day) is an occasion for remembering departed family members and friends. But since Le Jour des Morts is not a "jour ferie" (public holiday) in France, people visit cemeteries in conjunction with their observance of La Toussaint - on November 1.

La Toussaint and Le Jour des Morts actually fall within the first of five sets of school holidays in France, which is a 12-day school break that begins around the third week of October. As such, many families use both occasions as an opportunity to be together by taking a short trip or a brief vacation.

Traditionally, of course, these holidays are a time for attending special church services and for visiting cemeteries. People place flowers or wreaths on graves. Chrysanthemums are a popular symbol during these occasions, and they are used to decorate churches and cemeteries. Along with these, churches are likewise adorned with candles, banners, and such other things that are associated with remembering the dead. Many cemeteries, particularly those in the south-central and northwest regions, are decorated with stone lanterns.

Churches are draped with folds of black cloth on the eve of Le Jour des Morts. People can be heard singing funeral songs, reciting prayers, and telling stories about the dead. A special supper in honor of the dead is partaken at midnight, which traditionally consists of black grain, pancakes, and milk.

All Saints' Day and All Souls' Day in France may also be an occasion for people to visit any of the various cemeteries where famous people are interred. Some examples are the Cimetière de Batignolles in France (final resting place of French poets Paul-Marie Verlaine and André Breton), the Grand Jas Cemetery in Cannes (burial place of French film actress Martine Carol and Russian-French jeweler Peter Carl Fabergé), and the Saint Remi Basilica in Reims (where the remains of Louis IV and Lothair I are known to be interred in unidentified graves).

Holidays in France are taken seriously. What this means is that during such public holidays as La Toussaint, places that teem with activities on ordinary days are generally quiet. Banks, post offices, stores, and most other business establishments are closed. The only certain exceptions are flower shops and, perhaps, some stores in Paris.

Schedules of public transport service during the holidays may likewise be different from those of regular working days. Those wishing to visit France during the La Toussaint-Le Jour des Morts holidays should make arrangements for their transport based on where they will stay and where they plan to go around.

La Journée De Solidarité: French National Day Of Solidarity

In August of 2003, a scorching heat wave swept across Europe, claiming almost 15,000 lives in France alone. Most of the victims were elderly people and some with disabilities. Responding to this momentous tragic event, the French government, by way of a reform, made a commitment to raise money to financially support the elderly and persons with disabilities.

To support this drive, the government made an additional annual allocation of two billion euros for the benefit of the elderly and disabled through the Caisse Nationale de Solidarité Pour l'Autonomie (National Solidarity Fund for Autonomy). This is the first such reform in France, which was presented on November 6, 2003, that is funded not through increased taxes but through the concept of "workers solidarity".

By this concept, the government has urged the citizens of France, specifically civil servants and employees, to show their support for the reform by rendering an extra day of service without pay. This extra day is referred to as "La Journée De Solidarité" (National Day of Solidarity). The wages that are supposed to be paid to workers on this day will instead be collected and put into the fund.

The selection of the date of the French National Day of Solidarity went through a process that considered the diverse regional and economic conditions of the country. This was necessary to ensure broad participation among workers in both the public and private sectors, thus giving justice to the term "solidarity".

It was eventually decided that the French National Day of Solidarity be held on the same day as that of one of France's public holidays - Whit Monday, or the day after Pentecost. This effectively cancelled Whit Monday's being a public holiday (observed as such for more than a hundred years) and the day was converted into the rather odd status of a "working holiday".

For the elderly, the significance of this day is that their home life will be improved, retirement homes will be modernized, and medical care will be guaranteed. All these are possible through the more than 1 billion euros expected to be generated from this single day annually.

A separate fund of 800 million euros a year, likewise expected to be generated from the one-day "event", will be used to aid persons with disabilities and enable them cope with extra expenses as a consequence of their condition.

In 2008, Whit Monday was restored as a public holiday after workers across the country staged a series of demonstrations in protest of the concept by which the French National Day of Solidarity was established (not the purpose for which it was created). Specifically, workers were against the idea of working for a day without being paid for it.

To maintain its commitment of supporting the elderly and the disabled, the French government turned to other fiscal measures. Also, an agreement was reached between and among the government, employers, and employees, significantly modifying the original concept of the reform. Under the agreement, the equivalent of 7 hours of unpaid work can be spread over a period of one week, a month, or even a year.

Today, France celebrates La Journée De Solidarité simultaneous with its observance of Whit Monday, with the day being a public holiday.

La Fete De La Victoire: French Celebration Of WWII Victory In Europe

The end of World War II, also known as Victory Day in Europe, is celebrated as a national holiday on May 8 every year in at least seven countries in Europe. In France, the celebration is called "La Fete de la Victoire".

It will be recalled that it was on May 8, 1945 when Charles de Gaulle, then leader of the Forces Francaises Libres (FFL), announced the end of the Second World War in France. This announcement was made a day after the unconditional surrender of the forces of Nazi Germany was accepted by the Allies. It is fitting that France observes this momentous event every year, especially since it was in the city of Reims where the act of military surrender was signed.

How does France celebrate La Fete De La Victoire? First of all, since it is a public holiday, most business establishments are closed on this day; so are banks and post offices. Except on tourist areas, cafes, restaurants, and stores may also be closed. One may find some stores open on this day along main direct roads, at railway stations, or at airports. Those planning to spend the holiday in Paris will find many stores open there on this day.

Also note that roads, particularly those in the center of cities or towns, may be closed for parades. And depending on where one resides and intends to travel, schedules of public transport service may differ from those of ordinary days.

During the entire week preceding May 8, all educational institutions incorporate special lessons in their classes, which focus on the history of the Second World War and the oppressive acts committed by Nazi Germany against the French people. Through these lessons, every succeeding generation will be informed of the events that took place during the war and will have a better understanding of the importance of preserving the rights of every human being.

La Fete de la Victoire is an occasion for the French people to attend church services and parades, and sing patriotic songs in parks and streets, foremost of which, of course, is the French national anthem "La Marseillaise". On this day, too, one will find the Tricolore (the national flag of France) prominently displayed on every home and public building.

The flag, of course, is the most important symbol in any country, signifying that country's independence. To describe the French national flag, it is fifty percent wider than its height and has three colored bands (blue/white/red) of equal width. In some ceremonies, the flag and emblem of the European Union is also displayed to emphasize that all countries in Europe are united in peace.

While the prevailing mood during this special day is one of merriment, many people likewise use the occasion to remember family members, friends, or other people they know who had been victims of or died during the war. French veterans of the war, who may still be physically capable of rendering public service on this day, do so as part of the celebrations.