zefrenchpeople

Sometimes, talking to a person who hasn’t been dipped in the same culture as yours can be conflicted and lead to misunderstanding.  That’s the beauty of learning someone else’s culture and traditions.

Last night’s topic was mistletoe.  You usually can find it in any tree where I come from, which is actually not good at all for that tree since it “suffocates” it.

It seems like in the US, you kiss under the mistletoe (du gui) for Christmas and New Year’s.  I only had heard about the later one.  In fact, for New Year’s, if you see people in the street you know, even acquaintance, you have to “faire la bise“ which is a kiss on each cheek and wish “Bonne Année, Bonne Santé” and often Prospérité aka money.  We don’t do hugs really.

So I did some Wikipedia research and I found some interesting details. This is what I found for the Christmas tradition origins:

According to a custom of Christmas cheer, any male and female who meet under a hanging of mistletoe are obliged to kiss. The custom is of Scandinavian origin.^[12] It was the plant of peace in Scandinavian antiquity. If enemies met by chance beneath it in a forest, they laid down their arms and maintained a truce until the next day.” This ancient Scandinavian custom led to the tradition of kissing under the mistletoe.

And this is the explanation for the French one:

During the Middle Ages, people would harvest it and offer wishing « Au gui l’an neuf » (mistletoe to the New Year) later replaced by  « Bon an, mal an, Dieu soit céans » (Good Year, Bad Year, Godbe in your home), modernized in the XX century to “Bonne Année, Bonne Santé” (Have a good year and good health).

That and the “étrennes” is the main tradition for New Year’s in France.

After the French Revolution, she became the image of the Triumphant Republic, the representation of Liberty and Reason, the face of France as a State.  She is often represented with a half breast uncovered and a Phrygian cap. She is also known as “The Republic“.

Her statue is found in every City Hall and often in schools replacing Napoleon III statues, after 1877.  The image of Marianne changed throughout the years, inspiring different artists with different muses.  In 1968, Brigitte Bardot becomes the first celebrity-Marianne and we had 5 different models since then.

I’m not sure what determines the change of model or if there is time lag to choose a new Marianne…

• 1968 : Brigitte Bardot

• 1978 : Mireille Mathieu

• 1985 : Catherine Deneuve

• 1989 : Inès de La Fressange

• 2000 : Laetitia Casta

• 2003 : Évelyne Thomas

 And their effigy:

If you are interested in seeing some great caricatures you should check out le blog caricaturesercaricature.com:

She has been used on French stamps since 1944, more info on this website .

The other day I was listening to NPR and a woman on the phone was describing how surprised she was when she looked into her past and found out that she was from “black” (her word) descent.  I assumed she was, then, white.  It reminded me of one episode of Family Guy in which Peter Griffin finds out that an ancestor of his was African American (in fact, a slave owned by an ancestor of his wife.

It feels like everyone is a minority… What happens with the rest of the population, the white people?

The identity and the search, the seeking, of origins and racial background is one of the main difference with, not only France, but Europe in general.  When it comes to show patriotism, Americans are one but when you scratch the polish and look deeper, you see that there is a “malaise” of pedigree and race in this society.  Maybe more than in France.  What do I mean?

When you have African American, who were mostly slaves and abused population for a long time and Natives Americans it is hard for white people to justify their lack of minority status, their place in society apart from being the ones who once were the prosecutors.

If you are from Europe and meet a white American for the first time, this one will try to relate to you, especially by playing the race card.  The person will tell you where his great great great family comes from, which village in which country as if it were his life, his own identity.  It feels like being American is not enough anymore, people need to know their pedigree to justify themselves for being here or avoid to get into the “white people who represent the majority” category.  Is it to be loved?  To be appreciated or unconsidered as a non-minority?

These categorizations of being of a nationality that you, legally or technically, are not yourself, is more of a racial than a cultural aspect.  Most Americans will never go to said country or even speak the language but only make research or pay someone to do the search and really that’s all that matters.

The typical American will feel offended when a European will ask, after your 10 minute-monologue on how much more European they are than most people living in Europe, if he ever visited the said country or place, speaks the language and in the end if he has any sort of European ID.  Telling people you are German, French, Irish, English, Scottish or whatever nationality you pick doesn’t make you any more European but more importantly it doesn’t make you any less American.

In France, we never talk about origins because we have accepted the fact that nobody is French 100% especially with all the wars and colonies, the invasions and marriages with surrounding countries.  Making a distinction of a racial aspect taking a nationality as yours makes you more of an elite of pure blood.  For all I know, I might be from Julius Caesar’s descent since France was once a Roman Territory.

Every nation is multiracial, but only the understanding of what unity is makes you one.

France has funky laws when it comes to Economy and saving small businesses .  I say funky to not say “liberal” or better “communist” and not enter the American stereotypical view of us, smelly French frogs.

It always seemed strange to me that you guys are always having some kind of random sales and I always wonder how people actually get into the “on sale” mood, apart from the Black Friday Franzy which is more due to the oh-my-God-I-need-to-do-my-Christmas-shopping franzy then anything else.

France, however, sets dates for national sales or les soldes.  It’s twice a year and to be fair to people out of the Wonder City (Paris) and to allow the sale diaspora and a perfect cash flow, Paris sales are usually a week before the rest of France or may I say the real France.

Twice a year then: once in January and once in June.  This year, sales will start on January 7th 2009 (day after Three King’s Day).  More precisely, as a new law to relaunch the economy states it, sales should start the second Wednesday of January at 8am or the first Wednesday of January if that year the second Wednesday is after January 12th.

And then in June, it will be the last Wednesday of June as of 8am.

This centralization of National Sales has been expanded though through that new law.  Merchants can now pick two more weeks during the year to have sales after notified their prefet but reduced the total weeks of sales per year from 6 weeks to 5 weeks.

A lot of people go to Paris by bus for a day or London by train.  Actually Boxing Day was quite crazy this year it seems.

Because Christmas Eve late dinner (after 8pm or even 10pm) is a special occasion in France, I figured I would post about ours, and what I made for dinner last night.  An unusual post.  Christmas Day meals (lunch and dinner) are more relaxed usually.

First of all, I have to say that I went a little overboard on the cookies knowing that we are only two adults eating them at our house, but we tend to be food pushers and whatever we make is from scratch except when we mention it’s not, contrarily from here in the US. (cinnamon, peanut butter munchies and oatmeal-raisin, cookies left)

After drinking the “apéro” online via Skype with my brother and sister-in-law, with some mini-crab cakes (out of a box), I started the cooking-frenzy.

Entrées (appetizers)

Shrimps

Foie Gras (sent by my parents, from France)

served with white wine

 Plat principal (entrée)

Crown Roast of Lamb with Rosemary and Oregano

Green Beans

served with red wine

(mulled wine in the mugs)

Dessert

Traditional Bûche de Noël 

That was my first time making lamb and it turned out excellent.  The bûche was the best I had ever made.  A good Christmas Eve dinner for certain.  Hopefully, all will go well with the duckling I have to prepare for today!

Enjoy the Holiday! Merry Christmas!