Joyeuses Pâques / Happy Easter

In France we celebrate Easter too but it is not the Easter Bunny who brings eggs but Flying Bells.

France celebrates Easter with great enthusiasm. Shops are decorated with chocolate rabbits, chickens, bells and fish. Children wake up on the Easter Sunday morning in search of Easter eggs (les oeufs de Paques) around their house and garden. French people also have a three day long weekend to allow Easter to be celebrated properly with their families.
Cloches volantes or flying bells are another important part of the Easter traditions of France. French believe that on Good Friday, all the church bells in France fly to the Vatican in Rome and return on Easter Sunday morning filled with lots of chocolate and eggs. In keeping with the tradition, French church bells do not ring from Good Friday to Easter Sunday morning. 

The egg is a symbol of new life and give eggs at Easter or as a gift to celebrate the arrival of spring is a tradition established since hundreds of years.

During the reign of Louis XIV, a tradition evolved where the King was entitled to the largest egg laid during the week preceding Easter Sunday. On Easter, colored eggs painted with gold leaf were blessed. Then, the king would ceremoniously distribute the eggs to his courtisans and valets.















Easter is directly follow by 1st of April which is the day of Poisson d'Avril or April Fish (April fool). A day everything can't be taken seriously because there is a high probability it is a joke.
In France, unsuspecting victims have a paper fish stuck to their back and when they eventually discover it they are called Poisson d’Avril.  It is a prank mainly played by school children. Oh yes, I have done that and of course the big price was to put one on your teachers' back...

The French media also takes part, so if you watch the French news, be careful of what you believe!

French breakfast

Worldwide nutritional experts have agreed to say that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. And when I see how my son is hungry in the morning, I have to agree with them. But wherever you live, breakfast prepare you for the long day to come, it helps your concentration, your problem-solving skills and your eye-hand coordination.
But let's see what you find on a French traditional breakfast plate.


A French traditional breakfast starts with a hot drink: coffee (much stronger than the one you can find in US) or café au lait (coffee with milk), tea or hot chocolate. It is served with our traditional worldwide known TARTINES: sliced Baguettes with jam and/or butter. For me it's "and butter" and dipped in my coffee, yummy! 

During special days such as Sundays, families often eat freshly-baked croissants or pains au chocolat that are bought from local bakeries. The usual serving is 2 croissants per person. Croissants are often eaten plain, with jam, or dipped in coffee bowls. However if you want to be truly French NEVER eat a croissant with butter, because French people never do that.

Croissant

                                                                                                                                                              Pain au chocolat

Talking about about all of this make me realize how much I miss going to my local bakery to buy my fresh baguettes or any other kind of bread every day. And as a "Parisienne" I miss getting my breakfast on the terrace of a café in Paris or just an expresso.

Which bread am I going to buy today?