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!