Joyeuses Pâques!
How Easter is celebrated in France
France is a traditionally Roman Catholic nation with a history of religious interference in the country’s governance. That came to an end because people were sick of the Church calling the shots. However, the majority of public holidays in France still reflect its strong religious history - like Ascension Day, Assumption Day, and All Saints’ Day. And then, of course, there is Easter.
In French, the Easter holiday is known as Pâques (interestingly, no le, la, or les as is required for nouns in French). It comes from the Latin word ‘pascha’ which means Passover. Similarly, La Pâque is the word for the Jewish Passover holiday.
As with any major holiday, food plays a crucial part in the celebrations. Traditionally, the French eat eggs, such as the popular oeufs mimosa or deviled eggs (seems appropriate, non?) with their Easter meal. In fact, there’s a town in Toulouse whose tradition it is to make a giant omelet on Easter Monday. There is also pâté de Pâques, which is a beef-based pâté in a crust with an egg in the middle. The main course is often lamb or chicken with a side of vegetables.
Whether you’re Catholic or not, one thing you can absolutely count on is a plentiful array of Easter chocolate for sale. It’s a great opportunity for chocolatiers to present their latest creations.
Easter is probably the second-best time to go window shopping in France, after Christmas: shops display all kinds of beautiful spreads of holiday offerings to tempt passers-by. And if you’re at a loss, the Grande Épicerie of Paris - which I wrote about a few weeks ago - has plenty of ideas to help you celebrate (see below).
For the kiddos, France also has Easter egg hunts for children - known as chasse aux oeufs. The story behind it: traditionally, church bells are not rung between the Thursday and Sunday of the Easter holiday. Legend has it that the bells are being sent to Rome during those days to be blessed by the Pope. When the ‘flying bells’ make their way back to France, they bring back chocolate, which the children can search for during an Easter egg hunt.
There is also an array of tasty desserts to feast on during Easter, such as the nid de Pâques. (Nid means nest, as you can see from the photos below.)
Unfortunately, it’s a tense time in France during this year’s Easter holiday.
Last week, the government raised the public security alert to the highest level, following the attack on the concert hall in Moscow. The French Interior Minister deployed troops over the long weekend to guard all Catholic and Protestant churches. That’s just the world we live in now…
References:
Happy Easter!
Happy Easter; Joyeuses Paques!