Ethnography Of Mcdonalds In Bradford Cultural Studies Essay

Ethnography Of Mcdonalds In Bradford Cultural Studies Essay Globalization encompasses a range of social, political, and economic changes worldwide. Over the centuries global integration has seen a dramatic increase, world has become more interdependent as lots of unprecedented changes like in communication, transportations and computer technology has given rise to a new form of living and ethnic, cultural rights, traditions and languages are no longer deterring factors to enter in a far away nation and rising chance to integrate with different ethnic groups. In brief, Globalization is the increase in the interdependence, connectivity and integration on a global level linking with the social, cultural, political, technological, economic and ecological levels. Globalization not only strengthened the nexus by demolishing walls that has separated us long time back and has controlled our natural identity of being fellow human beings with a better knowledge of each others need. Globalization works as a force of nature, a phenomenon without bounds or alternatives. Citizens both ordinary and elite people from global can work together to shape best alternate futures and a new can be build with cooperation, solidarity and respect for our common planetary environment. The inferiors are getting opportunities to exhibit in the global market. The trueness of the impacts of globalization is not just limited to changes in the political and the economical aspects of a territory but it has broader effects on the life like on the social, psychological and the culture, changing the prior ways of thinking and reaction of individuals. It is clearly visible by experiences that people dont change abruptly, the change process is slow but at end it does happen. Globalization resembles the Iceberg theory wherein what we say and do are at the tip and what we believe and think remains at the base. Manifestation at the tip is conspicuous but base in not visible. Globalization being violent in an attempt to preserve cultural heritage, risk of diseases being transported unintentionally between nations, Spread of a materialistic lifestyle and attitude that sees consumption as the path to prosperity, International bodies like the World Trade Organization infringe on national and individual sovereignty, Increase civil war chances within developing countries and open war between developing countries as they vie for resources, decrease in environmental integrity as polluting corporations take advantage of weak regulatory rules in developing countries. The present financial crunches that give rise to uncertain thoughts as both opponents and proponents are unclear to decisions and the future objectives of term globalization, this global meltdown frightened citizens and firms and them to stay within the country boundaries as the prices payable for every product and services are as high as skyscrapers The growing Multinational companies and aviation industry of world is a perfect example of global integration. Manufacturers and service provider have sought the foreign market as a place of gaining profit while learning, expanding their existing businesses. Easiness in transportation of goods, services and people leading benefits to market and social, low level of war possibilities, increase in free trade, propagation of democratic ideals, cultural barriers reduces with increase in flexibility of cross border operations, more flow of trans-border data using internet, telephone networks, communication satellites, multiculturalism spreads resulted from international integration. Globalization not only a profitable scenario for businesses but also for the ordinary population by staging opportunities to meet ethnically contrast peoples under one ceiling and a plot for cross-cultural contacts ,exchange ideas, visions, traditional and cultural values, enhancement in worldwide fads and pop culture. There is increment in the employment rate and low poverty as the liquidity of capital increases developed countries spend hugely in developing countries creating jobs, increase awareness of education reciprocating in a high level of literacy ratio, thus helping whole nation to develop with higher standards of living. But in return decrease demand of skilled and non skilled work force in developed countries as firms chosen one is developing countries due to its cheapest labour cost nature. The significant de-localization happening since face-to-face interaction is no more the order of the days; however the travel is not a problem as it has become easier to reach even an unknown map of the world. Take example of an American trying to sort out his laptop issue with an Indian who is not a direct employee of the service provider, Sony bringing mp3 players in the global market taking world by storm overnight providing music freaks a device to be used anytime anywhere available even to local market at cheapest rate, attracting competitors to innovate, eventually benefits global customers. Summary: In this paper I am concentrating around the term globalization and by adoption of ethnographic approach I am trying to illustrate presence of globalization in human society. I am centralizing McDonalds by exploring the contrasting nature of peoples behaviour, their acts and the integration of diverse culture at the global restaurant. The internal and external environment with focus towards what they do and with changes in certain parameters people attitude alter. With the study I will suggest and maintain a link on the fundaments that globalized world can lead to a UN differentiable culture and behaviour. Ethnography: The snow fall could not stop people visiting worlds top fast food chain restaurant. The big parking slots provided on back side was completely full. At the entry gate courtyard there were 4 girls, 7 boys in three groups aged around 20 years all British nationals, 3 girls and 2 boys were smoking among them were either to enter or coming out of McDonalds. Slow English songs being played, the walls were in blackish orange with white straps. Boundaries were totally crystalloid, giving a transparent view. Thirteen 4 and four 2 sitter tables, a long 10 sitter marble made wall type table. Thirteen servers: six girls- 2 Indian, 1 African, 2 British and 1 Chinese, seven boys- 1 Indian, 3 Arabian and 2 French and 2 British all aged around 25. Staffs in black dress were busy in taking orders and other two male workers having the cleaning part. A young Male manager in black pant and white shirt with tie was monitoring all and necessarily on need serving as of heavy rush. Getting Inn witnessed a queue at counter maintained at 6-7 people throughout as in and out of peoples happened. I sat at this restaurant and found Diversity of culture, two African families with three children each, concentrated on eating: three couples 1 British pair but within few minutes of entry the girl got angry and ran out whereas the boy started chasing her as they went outside started scolding on each other, 1 Indian (went outside and returned after a puff) while girl talking on phone telling saying she is at McDonalds and will arrive shortly, pair (British girl with African boy) exchanging thoughts on tradition: all couple aged around 27, two Indian families with 2 and 1 children, 1 Arab family in their traditional dress with three children. A 6 member girls group from different cultures 3 from India and Pakistan, 1 British, 2 African, all aged around 21 years were talking about Indian movies and foods. One Chinese couple of 23 years with course books discussing on studies. A parent: British girl and Pakistani or Indian Boy of 28 years having 2 sons and 2 daughters of fewer than 5 years, parents were helping kids in reading cartoon book while having food. Group of 3 Brazilian girls around 25 years came, did not find place so left. A British parent around 45 years old with one daughter of 14 years, the daughter looked mentally disturbed as she was singing songs and behaving little abnormally waving to everyone whereas the parents were talking to each other about her mental condition and to go to an American doctor for remedy of her ailment. A 3 people group, a boy, 2 girls from different demographic arenas of young age were first sharing opinions on world climate then started prank on each other. Almost every kid, teenager and adult were having same aged food stuff seems like they all were a frequent visitor of this place and have the precise menu knowledge. McDonalds is certainly a globalized institution with operations in more than 119 countries and territory serving over 35 million customers a day and employing around 1.5 million people worldwide. The sociologist George Ritzer even referred as the homogenization theory after the giant food chain supplier The Mcdonaldization of the society. McDonalds has become a common voice that represents world-wide communication, people from different corners of world come under one shelter expressing their views, a place to meet new people. With the connection with different ethnic cultural people anyone can represent their own culture and traditions independently. Globalization appears rapid developing and ever-stocking network of interconnections and interdependencies that characterise modern social life style. The flow of capital, people, culture, technology, information and ideas across international boundaries is spreading its roots. Food is the one of the oldest and important global carrier of culture. Any changes in the foods that we eat, in its preparation, the way it is served and consumed diminishes the traditional beliefs of the people. The spread of mc world look likes the spread of diversity, Globalization cuts across all religious traditions, people around the world especially living in fundamentalist Islamic cultures, in fundamentalist Judaic cultures, in fundamentalist Hindu cultures were once known as the conservationist peoples giving values only to their own traditions and culture rejecting the other values to blow even around them, now with globalization assimilated together enjoying the commonly found worldwide food in diverse company of cultures. The existence of restaurants could also be attributed to the fact that there were travellers, form of globalization. McDonalds is a global brand and people want to sit down to have a slow light meal, be it in the county, country or virtually anywhere in the world, the opportunities to do that, ability to afford it and have the leisure time and ability to afford the travel to get to the slow restaurant are all greater than ever before. McDonalds rises a more liberalized prospective on the sort of food people use to eat and their commonly shared food knowledge with respect to the McDonalds food menu, different age group from diverse nature posses the same informatics on food and the place where it can be available. The general prospective would be as there is a movement away from a family oriented dining to individual dining. As western culture mainly focuses on eating as a necessity and towards fast food other cultures view dining as a social experience with religion playing an important role in its practice, they value group orientation and conformity to facilitate harmony among families whereas western culture roams around individualism and independence from each other. At McDonalds where world meets act as a central point in the integration and appreciation of diverse cultures with understanding the need of individuals religious ideologies, different aged groups peoples in families, pairs, singles from different varsities enjoy foreign affiliation as if they are surrounded by their own ethnic group. With the changes in technology and communication the advent of fast food globalized arena accelerated culture changes and McDonalds evolutionary menu providing new choices over the traditional p ast foods marks a remarkable step, some embraced the changes with adoption of certain traditional elements while other left the air blow around them without creating changes individually. Culture is comprised of the symbols, values, rituals, and traditions of the people living in an all regions and Language, food, and family traditions are all ingredients of those cultures. Globalization of McDonalds has been attracting the attention of these disciplines as consensus plausibly suggested; that a culture is no longer a discrete world as it has been transformed to accord with a world of ruptured boundaries, with resisting factors such as language barriers but now as a world with a universal language and literature has emerges out it no longer deterrent pillar of communication. Human behaviour are influenced by culture, attitudes, emotions, ethics, persuasion, coercion and rapport. At McDonalds people behaviour in and outside can be linked with changes in peoples act in public and how they behave within their own home is also commonly associated with values and standards of their respective nation. McDonalds has escalated the expansion of thoughts, exchange of culture. Everybody seemed to have know how to do, the perfect knowledge of what and hows of the rules of that place where engraved in consumers and servers mind. A persons role is the way they are expected to behave in their society they have a particular position in society, it is obvious of what and how people expect a police man to behave with adoption to different circumstances. Likely, McDonalds is associated with that environment where individual beings change their characteristics and habits. Different country and people have different views, one can only consider their own culture irrespective to what linkage it has with the other existing cultures, therefore for those secular minds Globalized culture sometime has destroyed quiet equilibrium of isolated culture. Like every coin has two faces globalization has also its positives and negatives, but the bottom line is this people should take the positives and globalization is the most effective driver that creates and reinforces cultural identity. Conclusions: I am therefore; conclude the paper with the development of result drawn from the above discussion and findings. McDonalds where People tend to react differently with a sudden change in the environmental factor, leading evidently to the human behaviour to act specifically according to the need of the moment. The culture value has been the differential aspect but with the growth of global integration the world has adopted more or less to a worldwide culture, which reflects a liberal meaning live together. The question that may rise is on the sustainability of this newly born culture, is it unified evenly to every corner of the world? The English language unification and the easiness to access the world knowledge has made easier to communicate and knowhow of the global anticipations. Differentiable characteristics is suddenly eroded by the common meeting point, food was the first to get globalized as of similarities in the food appetite worldwide and with the presence of Mc Donalds the acquainted people avail the opportunity to familiarize with the ways of serving, preparation, varieties and the excitement of finding ourselves surrounded by different culture is a lifelong experience. The presence of different ethnic group at one place could be linked with the diverse nature of the countrys population. A fall in barricades has changed peoples perception and increased Prefer ability of international travel resulted in diversified societal presence. Outcome could be praised as the lesser the obstacle the easier and enjoying would be the walk. Globalization has created a homogenous environment to live in, somewhat like a common home where the entire human understands each others need while fulfilling their own desires which is achieved by little behaviour adjustments. Desire is an acronym of both the cultural and individual needs. http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-87930-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html http://www.inst.at/studies/collab/breidenb.htm http://rw303.wetpaint.com/page/McDonald%27s,+globalization+and+culture. http://www.buzzle.com/articles/culture-and-globalization.html http://www.globalpolicy.org/globalization/ Paul Feine, McBastards: McDonalds Globalization John Tomlinson 2006, Globalization and Culture Cato Policy Report May/June 2003, Policy forum, globilization and culture. John Tomlinson, Globalization and Cultural Identity, Chapter 23, page 269-277 Dr. Vasiliki Karavakou, globalization 2005, HEGEL ON CULTURE AND GLOBALIZATION Romain Pison, Globalization and culture, or how globalization reinforces local identity

Comparison Between the set roles of Late 19th Century men in the ‘Ms Julia’ and ‘A Dolls House’

‘Ms Julia' and ‘A Dolls House' are both late 19th Century plays. In the late 19th Century, England was the most economically powerful nation in the world, with naval supremacy and an extensive empire. There was great social change; the nation was becoming more literate and expressive, giving birth to the expression ‘art for art's sake'. As a result, controversy and conflict occurred during this time of economic and social change. That caused a knock on effect throughout Europe. A new social class was also formed; this was the middle class, which ‘A Dolls House', is based on. During this time of change, men still had family duties which had to be conformed to in the society. Women's role in society stayed the same. Women were left at home while their husbands went to work. Not much was expected from them, but to provide offspring and keep their husbands satisfied. Family image was very important during this time period and loss of face was unacceptable, a tarnished image would lead to gossip and loss of respect from people of the same social class. Image and social status is clearly brought out in both plays and conflict is apparent when social roles are not adhered to. In Ms Julia, Jean is portrayed as the ambitious footman who crosses the social barrier to seduce the mistress of the house whereas Torvald remains the stereotypical husband of Nora who fulfills his role as her provider. Both plays ‘A Dolls House' and ‘Ms Julia' have dominating male characters. In ‘A Dolls House' the dominating character, Torvald, plays a middle-class man working as a bank manager. Dr Rank, a well-respected doctor, represents the weaker side of men, both physically through his illness which is probably a sexually transmitted disease inherited from his father and also being susceptible to Nora. In ‘Ms Julia' the main male character is Jean, whose rank in society does not exceed one of a footman. Even though he seems well educated and speaks French, his intentions are evil and disloyal. The Count, Jean's employer, does not appear in any scenes but he is known as a stern authoritarian man and his presence throughout the play is noticeable through references by the staff and the ‘bell' at the end of the play. Torvald, a man who has a secure source of income and is well respected by his acquaintances, conforms to the society he is placed in. Towards his wife, he seems only grateful for the company and entertainment that she provides for him and his friends. ‘Nora, I'd gladly work night and day for you, and endure poverty and sorrow for your sake. ‘ This is a typical male statement of that time where women had to rely on the men in that society. When Nora confesses to taking out the loan, to save his life. He does not really love Nora for who she is, but he loves her for what she does to satisfy her. Torvald feels that her actions were outrageous and something he would not expect from a wife. ‘This is unheard-of from a young girl like you'. This clearly shows how he feels about the position and role of a wife. After confessing, Nora leaves their well-established home under the protection of Torvald, and ventures off into the harsh world. At this moment Torvald is a broken man. His wife has left him with two children and a broken heart. ‘But to lose you – to lose you, Nora! No, no, I can't even imagine it†¦ ‘. More importantly there is an imbalance in Torvald's life as his role in society is not the same and his broken image cannot be repaired due to what the society expects from happy middle class families. But you're my wife – now'. How will he be viewed by others because his wife has left him? Dr Rank plays a distinctive role in the play ‘A Dolls House'. His name relates to society, Ibsen deliberately put it in to show the importance of social ranking. Rank is a family friend to the Helmers and makes frequent visits to their residence. When Rank and Torvald discuss matters, they confide themselves to a small room that does not welcome Nora and is not seen by the audience. The subject of these conversations are not known by Nora indicating a difference in the roles in society. When Rank finds death approaching, he confides in Nora, yet Torvald has no that they occur. ‘Well, at any rate you know that I'm at your service – body and soul. ‘ Helmer clearly states that he is at her service, which does not always equal love. Krogstad is an unemployed barrister in ‘A Dolls House'. During the time that Torvald was ill Nora turned to Krogstad for a loan to pay for a much-needed vacation to Italy. This loan was taken out without Torvald knowing. Throughout the play Krogstad always appears at the Helmers residence asking Torvald to hire him. He visits are not only intended to ask for a job, but also to blackmail Nora for the money that she had borrowed from him and the falsified signature. Near the end of the play Krogstad slips a note inside Torvald's private letterbox about the loan that he gave to Nora. In ‘Ms Julia' the dominant male character is Jean. He takes advantage of the Count's daughter and seduces her. Fear of being caught, they both plan to run away. Jean feels that he should be in a higher social class in society. He tries to fit in with people in a higher class, but tries to ignore the social class barrier. ‘In my dream, I'm in a dark wood, lying under a tall tree. I want to get up – right to the top, where I can see out over the country in the sunlight. ‘ However, he is unable to do so and is reminded constantly of his position in society by Kristin and finally by the bell ringing on the return of the Count. The Count is the master of the house, but not much is heard or seen of him. However, his heavy presence is constantly felt by the bell ringing. It's Jean, my lord. ‘ This brings fear to all the servants. From what is shown the Count expects certain standards from everyone including his daughter and shows a strong adherance to the social class system of the time. He lives upstairs and the servants live downstairs each to their altered position in society. In the two plays the men have completely different roles and attitudes to their place in society. Torvald is comfortable about his role and place in society. Yet Jean feels the opposite way as he feels that he deserves a higher position. Dr Rank feels that his life has not satisfied all his needs for women and he had an unfair chance at life because of his father's lifestyle. To conclude, Jean's role in society does not change throughout the play even though he tries very hard to change, he still holds his role as a footman. Dr Rank stays in his role in society as a doctor and a friend, but he tries to bend the rules in his last moments and attempts to flirt with Nora yet he must stay celibate because of his illness. Torvald looses a part of his role and has an increased role of being a single parent and a middle class working man at the same time. If Jean was to conform to society he would not have considered a relationship between himself and Ms Julia. He would have married Kristin and lived his life as a servant and husband. His dreams of owning a hotel would not happen due to his position as a footman. These men had different ideas and roles, but the end result still remains, society still controls who you are and what you can achieve. The bell in Ms Julia is the main image that restricts what you can achieve. In A Dolls House the sickness that Dr Rank has contracted controls his life and his place in society.

Tradition Stays Put in The Lottery by Shirley Jackson

Tradition Stays Put Easily regarded as one of America’s most beloved short stories, â€Å"The Lottery,† by Shirley Jackson, leaves readers with excitement and perhaps a small sense of doubt. Doubt could be an aspect of the reader’s mind due to the gory fact of the cultural tradition in the small farming town of the story. Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† displays the theme of unwavering ritualistic tradition and symbolism. This means the village is unable to move past their tradition while symbolism is shown through character’s names such as Old Man Warner and Tessie and through various objects in the story like the stool and the black box. However, another reason tradition stays could be the possibility of superstition. The idea of having unwritten laws stick around for so long can relate to the fact that many people in today’s culture are superstitious. Society might believe that if a tradition is done away with, perhaps bad luck or even evil will come upon them. Of course, this is a just speculation, but, it is also a very real idea of why traditions have yet to change year after year. Tradition often twists ones mindset to a point where reality is viewed from a grotesque and skewed perspective. For instance, in â€Å"The Lottery,† the townspeople go about conducting their farmland’s lottery as if it was the most normal thing to do. They are so attached to a tradition created centuries ago they are unable to detach themselves from it. The fact that the small town isShow MoreRelatedThe Unexpected Surprise of Violence1009 Words   |  5 Pagesvalued once risks are taken, but the outcome is never expected. Shirley Jackson, reader of witchcraft books, horrifies people with her perspective on the understanding of merciless rituals that kept communities at ease. Shirley Jackson develops her theme of unexpected violence in her short story â€Å"The Lottery† through the use of iro ny, symbolism, and denouement. On a summer day in a small town in the short story, â€Å"The Lottery†, Jackson takes advantage of the peaceful environment and adds a convolutedRead More, Symbolism, And Themes In The Lottery, By Shirley Jackson1252 Words   |  6 PagesShirley Jackson’s The Lottery, is a realism story that was written for the main purpose of entertainment. Jackson writes about a small village that gathers every year for an event they call â€Å"The Lottery†. Every head of households comes up and draws a slip of paper from the box. Bill Hutchinson draws the first slip of paper with the black dot but Tessie Hutchinson quickly exclaims the lottery is not fair. Mr. Summers then puts five slips of paper back into the box, one for each of the family membersRead MoreSymbolizing the Ideas and Beliefs in The Lottery1167 Words   |  5 Pagescustoms and ideas. In â€Å"The Lottery† the people from the community are sacrificing in order for their crops to grow. Many lives are at risk and in fear despite the acceptance of their actions.Symbolism is something that represents ideas or qualities of an object. An example of this can be a dove which represents peace. In the short story The Lottery, it takes place in the late 40s early 50s. The whole story is a contradiction because you would think that having a lottery would be a good thing, butRead More Essay on Shirley Jacksons The Lottery - Message of Social Responsibility912 Words   |  4 PagesThe Message of Social Responsibility in The Lottery      Ã‚  Ã‚   Often, we paint a fairytale view of life for ourselves and our children. Sometimes, an author paints a frightfully realistic picture of life and forces us to reconsider the fairytale. In Shirley Jackson’s story, The Lottery, a town each year conducts a lottery in which the winner or looser, in this case, is stoned to death by his or her own neighbors. The tradition is supposed to uphold social structure within the town, but in orderRead MoreAnalysis Of The Movie The Lottery By Shirley Jackson1220 Words   |  5 PagesProfessor Lail April 27 2016 The Unlucky Winner â€Å"The Lottery† is a short story written by Shirley Jackson in late June of 1948. Jackson was born into a middle class family and her parents are Leslie Jackson, who was a stay at home housewife, and Geraldine Jackson, who was an employee of a lithographing company. Jackson loved to write in her early years, as a child she would always write poems and always kept a journal. Although Jackson spent her first few years in California, around her teenageRead MoreEssay on Shirley Jackson and Her Short Stories631 Words   |  3 PagesShirley Jackson’s stories often had a woman as the central character who was in search of a more important life other than the conventional wife and mother. These characters however were often chastised for their refusal to conform to a woman’s traditional way of life. Much like her characters, throughout Shirley Jackson’s life, she also rejected the idea of fitting into societys perception of a womans role. Shirley Jackson was married to writer and literary critic Stanley Edgar Hyman. HymanRead MoreWinning the Lottery Equals Death in Shirley Jackson, The Lottery786 Words   |  4 PagesTo win a lottery should be an exciting and joyful thing, but in â€Å"The Lottery† created by Shirley Jackson, winning the lottery in the story would be the most unfortunate thing for everyone as it equals to death. â€Å"The Lottery† is a tradition to pick a scapegoat, it has been carried out in the village for a very long time and it is a part of life for everyone. No one wants to question the tradition as they believe that it would help them to having a great harvest. A Third person narrator tells theRead MoreLuisaldo Mendiola. Professor Price. Engl 1302 Nt6. Research2132 Words   |  9 PagesResearch Essay April 21, 2017 Tradition and the Sheep A Critical Analysis of Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery† Traditions are common part of culture and religion in the world today; almost everyone has a tradition that they follow. The traditions you practice can be new and only just have started with your generation or the generation before yours. The traditions could also have been old, spanning many generations before your generation and your parents’ generation. Some traditions could be small and lastRead MoreIn Both Faulkner’S â€Å"A Rose For Emily† And Shirley Jackson’S1110 Words   |  5 Pagesand Shirley Jackson’s â€Å"The Lottery,† we see many examples in which tradition conflicts with modernity. Even in today’s society, there is a lot of change, which results in tradition conflicting with modernity. Traditions are normally something that is passed down from generation to generation, but modernity clashes with tradition because as societies continue to develop, they are more inclined to change. This is when tradition conflicts with modernity; when people are losing their traditions as everythingRead MoreThe Lottery, By Shirley Jackson And The Yellow Wallpaper1302 Words   |  6 PagesThe Lottery by Shirley Jackson and The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Gilman make the reader so passionate to know what is going to happen next because they are two of the most expressive and meaningful stories that have lots of great deep meanings. These stories share so many similarities when it comes to symbols, themes, and conflicts. Although The Lottery and The Yellow Wallpaper do not have the same plot, their themes have some similarities like following unfair traditions and

Frances Charming Easter Expressions and Traditions

Pà ¢ques, the French term for Easter, is commonly feminine plural*. It is a holiday celebrated even by many nonpracticing Christians in France, and the Monday following Easter, le Lundi de  Pà ¢ques,  is a public holiday in many regions of the country, when the French stretch the celebration into a four-day holiday with Thursday, Friday, Monday and Tuesday off in addition to the weekend. Pre-Easter Holidays, En Francais One week before Easter, on Palm Sunday, called le Dimanche des Rameaux (Sunday of the branches) or  Pà ¢ques fleuries  (Easter of the flowers), Christians take various rameaux to church, where the priest blesses them. The branches may be boxwood, bay laurel, olive, or whatever is readily available. Around the southern city of  Nice, you can purchase des palmes tressà ©es (woven palm fronds) in front of churches.** Palm Sunday is the start of la Semaine Sainte (Holy Week), during which some towns put on un dà ©filà © pascal (Easter procession). On le Jeudi Saint (Maundy Thursday), French Easter lore has it that church bells sprout wings and fly to Rome to visit the Pope. Theyre gone all weekend, so no church bells are heard during these days. For children, this means that flying bells from Rome will be bringing chocolate and other delicacies to them. Vendredi Saint (Good Friday) is a fast day, meaning Christians eat un repas maigre (meatless vegetarian meal). However, in most of France, its not a public holiday. On Saturday, children prepare nids (nests) for le lapin de Pà ¢ques or le lià ¨vre de Pà ¢ques (Easter Bunny), who arrives that night and fills them with chocolate eggs. Celebrating French Easter Early the next morning, on le Dimanche de Pà ¢ques (Easter Sunday), also called le jour de Pà ¢ques (Easter Day), les cloches volantes (flying bells) return and drop chocolate eggs, bells, bunnies, and fish into gardens, so that kids can go on la chasse aux Å“ufs (Easter egg hunt). Its also the end  of le Carà ªme (Lent). Besides excellent chocolate and eggs, traditional French Easter foods include lagneau (lamb), le porc (pork), and la gà ¢che de Pà ¢ques (Easter brioche). Lundi de Pà ¢ques (Easter Monday) is un jour fà ©rià © (public holiday) in many parts of France. Its customary to eat omelettes en famille (with the family), a tradition called pà ¢quette.​ Since 1973, the town of Bessià ¨res in southwestern France has held an annual Easter festival, the main event of which is the preparation and consumption of lomelette pascale et gà ©ante (giant Easter omelet), which measures 4 meters (13 feet) in diameter and contains 15,000 eggs. (This is not to be confused with la Fà ªte de lomelette gà ©ante that takes place every September in Frà ©jus and features a somewhat smaller, three-meter omelet.) Pascal is the adjective for Easter, from Pà ¢ques. Children born around Easter are often named Pascal (boy) or Pascale (girl). French Easter Expressions Joyeuses Pà ¢ques ! Bonnes Pà ¢ques ! - Happy Easter!À Pà ¢ques ou à   la Trinità © - very late, neverNoà «l au balcon, Pà ¢ques au tison - A warm Christmas means a cold Easter *The singular feminine Pà ¢que refers to  Passover.**Youre supposed to burn last years rameaux tressà ©es sà ©chà ©es, but theyre so lovely that many people keep them. Thats why theyre white rather than green.