Father Whipper: St Nick’s Evil Helper
Misbehaving children have to be very careful the first part of December, or St. Nick might send his not-so-nice “helper” to see them…
Tartarin of Tarascon
Saint Martha isn’t the only slayer of ferocious beasts whose name is associated with Tarascon. The town’s other celebrated hero, who also participates in the annual Tarasque festival, is Tartarin of Tarascan…
Saint Martha and the Tarasque in Provence
Saint Martha is said to have washed up onto the shores of Provence where she is remembered for dragon taming.
Mistletoe and a Flying Donkey
Mistletoe in French is called gui. This ball of vegetation that grows high in trees has been considered magical since ancient days…
An Accidental Tourist at the Festival of Avignon
As our taxi entered the city walls of Avignon, it was evident that something was happening. I had seen online that a festival would be starting the day after our arrival, but didn’t think much about it. I just thought it was nice that there would be a little festival going on. But from our…
Polite Paris
*Published April 1, 2015 Ahh Paris… Just the mention of its name brings up images of sophisticated people in sidewalk cafés surrounded by elegance. It’s one of the most beautiful cities in the world and one of the most visited tourist destinations. The Parisians, however, have a long-held reputation for being rude. Personally, I don’t…
St Nicholas… Santa Claus… Father Christmas
Even though some of the American/British folkloric characters don’t come to France, you’ll be happy to know that the jolly old man in the red suit does. Of course, he goes by a different name: in France he’s known as Père Noël, or Father Christmas.
May First and the Spirit of Labor Day
May 1st, a day to take off work and give out flowers….
American Easter Bunny vs French Easter Bell
There is no Easter Bunny in France but fear not, the French have come up with another method to distribute those Easter eggs
April Fool or April Fish?
In many countries, the first day of April is a day to play harmless jokes on family and friends. This usually consists of telling a farfetched story in such a way that it sounds like it could be true. When the other person falls for our joke, we exclaim…
Menton, France celebrates the Lemon
They say when life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade. But what if you are a town on the French Riviera and life gives you extraordinarily delicious lemons? You sell them at high prices, of course! Then you buy truck loads of cheaper ones from Spain and have a big festival. Well, that’s what…
Carnival Kings, Silly Strings, and Blooming Things
In Nice, France we are preparing for the carnival and that means another royal visit. Every year in February, a different king comes to town to celebrate the carnival with us and participate in the parade on his own special float. But it wasn’t always this way… Kings and parades In the beginning, the carnival…
Happy May Day! Give a Flower to Someone You Love
By Margo Lestz May 1st is a public holiday in France. It’s called La Fête du Travail, and it’s the equivalent of the US Labor Day. But it’s also another special day, La Fête du Muguet (pronounced something like “mew-gay”), the flower known in English as lily of the valley. Each May 1st we offer…
