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.