Bonjour,
I hope that you simply and yours are nicely.
Effectively the massive factor this week is Bastille Day. The French don’t name it Bastille Day, they name it Fete Nationale (Nationwide Pageant), or Quatorze Juillet (14th July).
Bread Man, the person who delivers desserts, croissants and pastries to the little villages in my a part of France, is nonplussed by our title for this most vital vacation. “Why do you name it Bastille Day?” he mentioned. “We French don’t say Bastille Day, and we discover it very peculiar that you simply do!”
“Peculiar” is his new favorite English phrase, it’s “very Donton Abbey” he says (everybody I do know in France is mad for Downton Abbey however pronounce it Donton, like wanton!), and he actively seems to be for issues to be “peculiar”. If he burns the bread a bit he says, “I don’t know ‘ow that ‘appened, it’s very peculiar.” If a croissant is a bit flat “it’s peculiar”, if Madame Bernadette, who lives on the backside of my hill comes out of her home to wave at him to rush up along with her bread as a result of he’s nattering too lengthy at my gate, “she’s peculiar.”
Anyway, I do really know the explanation we name it Bastille Day as I did a podcast on all the pieces Bastille Day (you could find it right here). In a nutshell, the Bastille, a jail in Paris, was stormed by the folks of Paris on 14 July 1789 which kickstarted the Revolution. A 12 months in a while 14 July 1790, the occasion was commemorated with a one-off nationwide vacation (a giant deal in these days). 100 years later, the federal government determined to have a everlasting annual day to honour the French Revolution. It was recommended that the vacation be held on 21 January as that’s the day King Louis XVI was beheaded. Different dates have been put ahead, however in the long run, they went for July 14 – the date of two main occasions: the storming of the Bastille and the Fete de la Fédération vacation the 12 months after. Nevertheless, it was by no means confirmed which was the precise occasion that was being celebrated! English audio system determined to name it Bastille Day deciding for themselves that after all it made sense to go for the date which had probably the most drama.
By the point I’d completed explaining all this, Madame Bernadette was screeching “coucou, coucou” from her gate, on the prime of her voice, making an attempt to get Bread Man’s consideration – and her lunch. “Coucou” is French for “cooee” or “yoohoo,” she hadn’t became a cuckoo – that may be peculiar!
Wishing you a really glad 14th July from a sometimes-peculiar little village in the course of nowhere, rural northern France,
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Wishing you a bon weekend, an awesome learn of the journal and bisous from France.
Janine
Editor
Janine Marsh is Writer of My Good Life in France: In Pursuit of the Rural Dream, My 4 Seasons in France: A 12 months of the Good Life and Toujours la France: Residing the Dream in Rural France all obtainable as e-book, print & audio, on Amazon in all places & all good bookshops on-line. Her new guide Easy methods to be French – a celebration of the French way of life and artwork de vivre, is out now – a have a look at the French lifestyle.
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