Carnaval in Nice,
in the South of France where we see les Grosses Têtes (image) but... not really anything anywhere else in France... except that little kids sometimes dress up in costumes for school, like we do for Halloween....usually princess and king and queen type things • Other images from Google Images • The King of the Blue Planet • video of Carnaval Nice 2013 at night • Video from Charles Boisson of the night-time Carnaval in 2013 • Video of Daytime parade for Carnaval de Nice 2013 |
In the town of
Binche, in Belgium , (where people also speak French!), the three days before Ash Wednesday (the day after what we call Mardi Gras, the last day before Lent) are always filled with street festivals and people dressed up as special characters. The one with the big plumage is called the Gilles, and his costume is based on the colors and images of the Belgian flag. The Gilles characters wear a mask during the early part of the parade. They offer oranges to the crowds! There are parades and dances for little kids, and for adults, but no beads! No crazy New Orleans style flashing and drunk people everywhere! The festival of Binche is the oldest historic celebration in all of Europe for this time of year. Here is more information! |
What about
les Crêpes? Crêpes are very much like pancakes, but they are very thin, not cakey or spongey. So... do French people eat them for Mardi Gras?? ... Non! (*well, some places do! See below.) "Crêpe Day" is February 2 every year, and it's a different holiday, called la Chandeleur . Here's a recipe for crêpes, using cornmeal! * En Bretagne
(the Brittany section of northern France), They DO eat crêpes and gauffres (=waffles) on Mardi Gras, and they have parades, like this one in Douarnenez : Here is another good website for info on celebrating Mardi Gras en Bretagne! So, in certain areas of France, it's a time for eating gras... and so that involves doughy, fat-rich foods, like beignets, gauffres, and crêpes!
And, this is a good video, en français assez facile, about la chandeleur and going through the steps of making les crêpes! (about 14 minutes)
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What about the
King Cake ? Do they have that in France for Mardi Gras??? Non! In France, there is a special day for eating a "king cake", but it's January 6 ! This little holiday is known as LA FÊTE DES ROIS ( roi means king ). This holiday celebrates the day when the three wise men (or the three kings, or the three magi) arrived at baby Jesus's crib, bringing gifts. The cake for this day is known as La Galette des Rois . When people in Paris buy this flaky, pastry-style cake at the bakery, they get a gold paper crown with it. Baked inside the cake is a little fève (some kind of little ceramic trinket). Whoever gets the piece of galette with the fève gets to wear the crown and be the roi! • Making la Galette (WCS Another American in France) • An easier recipe for making the flaky crust for the Galette (thanks to Days on the Claise) • Images in pâtisseries in Paris (Are We In Paris Yet?) • Info on FÊVES and history • video: a baker making la galette (English-3 minutes) • In the south of France, the cake actually does look kind of like the New Orleans Mardi Gras cake they call the King Cake. In Spain, however, this holiday is actually the biggest holiday of the Christmas season, even bigger than December 25. People in Spain eat a Roscón de Reyes (which is very similar to the cake eaten for this holiday in the south of France). |
So, apparently, the King Cake tradition, as done in New Orleans (Louisiana, USA), is still related to Epiphany, the date when most all other countries celebrate with a King Cake (France, for one, and many Hispanic countries, as well as Portugal, and many other places).
It always confused me, why New Orleans associated their King Cake with Mardi Gras, instead of with Epiphany... but, actually, Mardi Gras is just the culmination, there, of a month-long celebration, from Epiphany (La Fête des Rois, El día de los Reyes) until Mardi Gras. They begin offering King Cakes as early as Epiphany, and continue throughout the many weeks of celebrations.
Click the image to the left, to learn more about King Cakes in New Orleans!
It always confused me, why New Orleans associated their King Cake with Mardi Gras, instead of with Epiphany... but, actually, Mardi Gras is just the culmination, there, of a month-long celebration, from Epiphany (La Fête des Rois, El día de los Reyes) until Mardi Gras. They begin offering King Cakes as early as Epiphany, and continue throughout the many weeks of celebrations.
Click the image to the left, to learn more about King Cakes in New Orleans!