Joyeux Chandeleur!

Joyeux Chandeleur!

Boy, I’ll tell you, the French sure have it right about holidays. We have just learned about La Chandeleur and we have been celebrating in earnest ever since. And frankly, if the kids have any say in it, we will never stop. La Chandeleur is Candlemas, but in France it is basically known as the crêpe holiday (at least to those more secularly minded). And while it is officially on February 2, really the whole month of February is sort of crêped up. Gotta love it! Big stores have entire aisles filled with everything you need to make crêpes.

There are a variety of traditions and mythology around the holiday. First, there are some weather predictions a la Groundhog Day. I have seen a number of versions of these, here is an example:

“ Quand la Chandeleur est Claire,
l’hiver est par derriere,
Chandeleur couverte
Quarante jours de perte”

(If Feb 2 is clear, winter is past. If la Chandeleur is overcast, 40 days of winter is to last.)

Like many holidays, the tradition dates back to Pagan worship. The first record of the festival dates back to the Romans and their celebrations of Pan at this time of year. This was connected to the coming Spring, fecundity, and the desire for a healthy harvest. Apparently the Romans would dance through the night in Pan’s honour, being careful to keep their torches alight all night to welcome Pan back.

Christians (Pope Gelase in 472) renamed it “Candlemas” and proclaimed it the day of the presentation of Baby Jesus 40 days after his birth. Back then there was a custom of sequestering mothers and babies for 40 days, so this made some sense to the masses.

As time went on people believed if they didn’t feast on crêpes (their round shape evoking the sun, and therefore spring etc, after the dark of winter) they would not have a bountiful harvest that year.

At some point a tradition developed to “predict” whether one would have a bountiful year. The tradition involves flipping the crêpe with one hand, while holding a coin in the other hand. If you successfully flip the crêpe perfectly, you guessed it, you would have a bountiful year. If you failed, watch out!

Fearing the wrath of the children, if not the Gods, thus far I have chosen not to partake in any such risky behaviour. I chose to carefully flip mine. We ate them with a squeeze of lemon and a sprinkle of Icing Sugar. Mmmm mmm!! (or in french, “Miam, miam!”) So I am sure it comes as no surprise that we are enthusiastically embracing this holiday. In fact, I have a feeling we may be celebrating it almost daily during the kids’ l’hiver vacance. Lord knows I won’t complain and maybe, just maybe, I’ll even scrape up the nerve to try a one-handed flip.