In 1790s, in Lyon, an apprentice of the pastry cook Mr Papillot fell in love with a woman of the middle-class. This love was impossible, it is why he invented a way to give her messages, as she came to buy chocolates: he wrapped them up into a paper where he wrote some words of love… Since this time, these messages around chocolates have become a tradition in our area: we offer papillottes for Christmas or for the New Year. Nevertheless, nowadays jokes or moral phrases are written on it.
Morgane
Monday, February 1st, 2010,
Publié par morgane,
Rangé dans: FESTIVALS and CELEBRATIONS| |
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Hey there!
I would be thrilled to know how you, Indian people, spend New Year’s Eve party. I hope to get the answer soon. As for me, I can tell you how I and my family spend this festive evening.
First, like every French person, we invite a lot of friends at our house. We dance, eat and have fun from ten to ten to midnight. From then on, my family does it the Spanish way, since my mother is Spanish, and Spanish people have a very special tradition. So, first of all, it’s imperative that we wear something red during the whole evening in order to be lucky the following year.Then, we switch on the radio, and we listen to any Spanish channel. At this point, we wait for the crucial moment of the evening:the first stroke of midnight of the “Puerta del Sol”, in Madrid. You can’t imagine the crazy concentration mood in the room at this moment. Anyway, when it begins, we have to eat one grape (prepared beforehand) at every single stroke of midnight. It’s pretty tough, actually. First, because of the pips, and then because seeing around you all these people so focused on eating one grape at a stroke makes you want to laugh so much. Generally, when it’s over, everybody still has a couple of grapes in the mouth but nobody cares because it’s a new Year, and everybody hugs everybody wishing a “Happy New Year”.
It’s such a convivial way to celebrate New Year’s Eve that I wish to keep doing this for every new Year of my life !
Lydia
Wednesday, January 27th, 2010,
Publié par lydia,
Rangé dans: FESTIVALS and CELEBRATIONS| Add new tag|
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In Lyon, each 8th of December, a celebration in honour of Mary, the mother of Jesus in the Christian religion, is organized. The tradition is that the citizens of Lyon light candles, which are laid in front of the windows of their house. This way, the city of Lyon becomes very luminous and beautiful. Thousands of tourists come from everywhere to see the “Festival of lights” (or “Illuminations”).
The festival of lights is based on a legend which says that in medieval times, a disease called the plague spread all over France except Lyon, thanks to Mary which protected the citizens. To thank her for saving their life, it was decided to light candles each 8th of December, which is the day of the birth of Mary.
Manon
Wednesday, January 27th, 2010,
Publié par manon4,
Rangé dans: FESTIVALS and CELEBRATIONS| |
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I’m Quentin Lanier.
I’m 15 years old ,nearly 16.I love music in general…and swiming.
I’m in Européan section in Saint romain en gal.I live in chuzelles ,a little village near vienne so I cross the
Rhône everyday 2 times. For me, vienne’s inhabitans are luky as the rhône permets many water activities and
furthermore it’s beautiful
see you next
Thursday, January 14th, 2010,
Publié par quentin2,
Rangé dans: THE STUDENTS| |
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On 24 December, there is Chrismas (a christian feast to commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ). During this feast, we gather with our family and exchange gifts. But when I was young, these gifts were not there at midnight under the Chrismas tree, as if by magic.
He lives at the North Pole. He prepares gifts for children, who have sent him a letter (where there is a list of gifts that the child wants), with the help of little elves thoughout the year. And on Chrismas eve, he gets the reindeer and his sleigh and tours the world flying . He comes down the chimneys and leaves presents under the Chrismas tree and nobody can see him because he is silent.
Father Chrismas often appears as a large man, often 70 years old. He is dressed in a red snowsuit trimmed with white fur, a matching hat and dark boots. Often he carries a large brown sack filled with toys on his back.
My parents told me : “if you are not a good girl, Santa will not give you any gift.”
Some families leave a slice of cake and a glass of milk on the doorstep or near the fireplace for him.
So, Chrismas is a great feast for the children and their parents.
And you, what are your feasts?
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010,
Publié par mathilde,
Rangé dans: FESTIVALS and CELEBRATIONS| |
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To celebrate Christmas (the birth of God’s son) people decorate their houses with a Christmas tree covered with Christmas decorations . On Christmas Eve, people hang big red socks on the fireplace to receive presents and eat a special meal (smoked salmon, turkey, Yule log..).
Christmas Father, with a white beard, and a red jacket, carries a basket full of presents for the good children. During Christmas night, he comes on his sleigh, pulled by flying reindeers, and he goes down chimneys to put the presents in the socks by the fireplace. Then, he returns to the North pole.
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010,
Publié par laura,
Rangé dans: FESTIVALS and CELEBRATIONS| |
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The cave and the fairies’ fountain of Saint-Maurice (Switzerland):
Frizette was the best-known fairy among all who have lived in the Fairies’ Cave, at Saint-Maurice, in Switzerland. She was beloved in all the county, was useful and wanted happiness for everybody. She helped miserable and diseased persons. Unfortunately, a bad fairy called Turlure lived around the cave, in the little Devil’s den.
Once upon a time, a crumbling drove Turlure out of her house, and she needed Frizette’s hospitality. Frizette, a very nice fairy, accepted to separate her cave in two parts, and built a wall between the two. Turlure, unhappy of this settlement, became bad for the inhabitants who lived in the valley protected by Frizette. One day, during a violent quarrel, Frizette broke her magic wand and made Turlure disappear into the Rhône river. All Frizette’s powers disappeared too. Then, Frizette left her palace of Saint-Maurice cave and went to the fairy kingdom. Today, the subterranean world of Turlure is still inaccessible…
Persons who tell this legend, say if someone puts their hands into the fountain water (situated in the cave), their dreams will come true thanks to the magic power of the fairy who lived in this place. However, two conditions are necessary: it is forbidden to disclose the dream; and this person must come back to thank the graceful fairies of this cave.
The widow’s kiss:
(NB: The Ain river is an affluent of the Rhône river)
Few legends are about ferries and their ferrymen. The legend of Ain banks is about the terrible punishment of one of these ferrymen, who demanded too much payment from his female passengers.
Adding to the customary fare, he asked a kiss from each young woman or young girl who would cross the Ain river.
One night, a black-dressed widow was in front of him (who thought she was young and rather beautiful) and wanted to cross.
They were far from the banks, and the ferryman tried to embrace her. She resisted, protested, begged, screamed…. and weakened. Suddenly, the widow put away her coat, her dress and her veils, and the ferryman, horrified, discovered he was embracing the prince of darkness, who was looking at him with a smile on his face. The devil said the ferryman belonged to him, and he cut the ferry cable, took the ferryman in his arms, and put on him a fire coat which quickly burnt the both of them.
Then, a fantastic travel started for the two living torches: the small boat went along the Ain river, joined the Rhône river, passed through all the towns in the Rhône valley to reach, one morning, the sea where they disappeared…
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010,
Publié par morgane,
Rangé dans: LEGENDS| |
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We wish to share with you some of the Rhône’s legends because we find that interesting to know…it is facinating and mysterious, like the Rhône.
The legend of the fish Kupléa
Five centuries before us, druidesses who were looking for shelter went into the forest of Vosges, where they stopped near a river spring (according to their wish). The river which forms there received the name of Sagone ( Saône).
The presence of the druidesses, who had mysterious practices, inspired many Gallic legends. The most beautiful is the legend of the fish Kupléa.
According to popular lore, this big-headed fish , with Cyclopean eyes and three dorsal and ventral fish bones, went back up the waters of the Mediterranean sea, up to the sacred source of the Sagone to take a stone which could cure the patients affected by malaria, which was very important in the Rhône delta .To bring back this stone, precious thanks to its healing power , the fish Kupléa inlaid it in his head and all the patients who touched this stone were immediately cured.
This legend is based on serious belief, because certain Gallic coins, struck in the workshop of Solina (currently Soulosse, in Vosges) show the profile of this fish.
The legend of St Bénezet
All French people know a famous children’s dance :”Sur le pont d’Avignon, on y danse, on y danse, sur le pont d’Avignon, on y danse tous en rond” (on the bridge of Avignon, we dance there, we dance there, on the bridge of Avignon, we all dance in circle there!)
This popular song finds its origin in parties given formerly under the bridge, on the island of Barthelasse, in honour of Saint Bénezet.
According to the Provençal Christian tradition, this famous building is the work of a shepherd who was 12 years old, named Benoît (or Bénezet) who, in 1177, was called by God to build a bridge on the Rhône in Avignon. Guided by an angel, the child abandoned his herd and went into this city. In front of the bishop of the city, he announced the reason of his coming, but the pontiff did not listen to him and ordered to punish him. Led to the provost, the shepherd did not lose heart and maintained that his mission was to build a bridge. To test the boy, he was asked to move a huge stone block. To the general surprise, he easily transported it to the Rhône. This miracle convinced the inhabitants of Avignon who brought their support for the construction of the bridge, which started at once. The works lasted 14 years.
The bridge, 649 m long , crosses the Small Rhône, the island of Barthelasse and the Big Rhône. Unfortunately, in 1669, it was carried away by a flood. Only 3 arcs are intact and the only current remains of the monument.
The study of historical sources shows that the impulse for the construction of this bridge was indeed given by Bénezet who collected the money necessary to buy the materials. Aiming at promoting public charity in favour of work, by means of legacy and of charities, he created the brotherhood of the pontiffs who, contrary to a popular idea, do not build bridges but participate in their financing.
Monday, May 25th, 2009,
Publié par laura,
Rangé dans: LEGENDS| |
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Good morning,
We are sending this e-mail to present our school and explain to you the school system in France because yours may be different. Our school is located in Saint Romain en Gal, a town near Lyon, and it is being rebuilt which is not convenient. Moreover we are about 1700 pupils. Next to the school, there are many facilities for sport.
It is a state-founded school and there is no entrance exam so everybody can attend it. There is no official uniform and pupils are not allowed to smoke in the school. We can study general disciplines like English, French, Maths and other particular disciplines like drama. Each teacher teaches one subject and after ending a lesson, the teacher gives us a test in order to check we learnt the lesson and we understood it. The teachers educate us so that we can follow our studies after school and to make us self-confident. Teachers also aim at developing our capacities. At the end of the year, they decide if we can go to the upper class.
Our school aims at making us more responsible, more adult and helps pupils to express themselves. We have to go to school until at least 16 years old.
According to us, the school system in France is a good one. However we think that the government could set up a better organisation in the plannings because the days are long for us (we start studying at 8.00 am and we stop at 6.00 pm).
We hope we can hear from you soon and right now we wish you a good day.
Manon, Valentin, Marion
Monday, March 30th, 2009,
Publié par marion2,
Rangé dans: THE SCHOOL| |
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Hi! I’m Laurie.I’m 15 and I live in Ampuis which is next to Vienne. Sometimes, I go to Vienne, I cross the”Rhône”. The Rhône makes me think of the South of France in summer. On each side, we can go to two cities which are in different “counties”: “Isère” and “Rhône”. Moreover, a footbridge allows me to join my music band. My friends tell me, I speak easily with everybody, I love languages and I’m quite extrovert.
Tuesday, March 24th, 2009,
Publié par laurie,
Rangé dans: THE STUDENTS| |
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