Every year on the third Thursday of each November, French people celebrate the new arrival of a particular wine: the Beaujolais nouveau — or the new Beaujolais, for English speakers. But what is it, and what are we celebrating?

Flickr user jadefrog_01

Consequently, during one night all the French people from Beaujolais through the Southwest of France celebrate the fresh made Beaujolais Nouveau. This is a great opportunity for people to share their love of wine. Often these tasting moments are accompanied by music, sausage and pâté. It’s how we share our French roots and our love of wine! In France, an old proverb says, “one glass of wine per day is good for your health”! So crazy, the French!

Flickr user Digimist

Everyone should buy their airline tickets now and try this incredible cultural experience!

Taken by Flickr user Haretz

This year, the race was made up of 10 flat stages, seven mountain stages, one medium stage, two individual time-trials, and one team time-trial stage.
The most famous, if not challenging, bicycle race in France is also exciting for television viewers who get to see stunning French landscape as the cyclists pass by. TV announcers often discuss cultural aspects of the regions while commenting on the race.

Each year, people all over the world follow the results of the Tour de France and try to guess who is going to win the legendary maillot jaune, which is given to the cyclist with the best finishing time. But, the one who is wearing this famous yellow jersey is not necessarily the one who wins the race of the day. Although the yellow jersey is very important, and denotes the overall winner, it is not the only jersey you can win in the Tour de France. Cyclists also race for the maillot vert (green jersey), the maillot a poids (red polka dot jersey), and the maillot blanc (white jersey). The green jersey is given to the cyclist with the highest number of sprint points which are, depending on the stage, given to the first ten to twenty-five riders that finish. The red polka dot jersey is for the best climber, or “King of the Mountains,” which is the first person to summit designated hills and mountains. The white jersey is for best youth cyclist, classified as under 25 years of age. There are also special jerseys such as the yellow bib for the team ranking, and a red bib for the most combatant rider which is decided by a jury.

Taken by Flickr user Garmin

All the cyclists dream of winning at least one stage but there is one stage that stands out among the rest as boasting eternal glory: the final stage! This year, Mark Cavendish was first to summit the Champs Elysses. The first one arrive at the Champs Elysees was Mark Cavendish. Cavendish won five stages this year, which has not been seen since Lance Armstrong in 2004!

Congratulations to all the brave cyclists! We’ll see you next year!

Each year, during the first weekend of July, the North of France celebrates the Festival of the Giants.

Picture taken by chaton144, Flickr

Most of the Northern cities have a patron giant to protect them. Today, there are more than 300 giants representing the cities of the region. In 2005, UNESCO added the festival to the World Heritage List. These giants are not simple statues; they are moving giants! They are made of wood and people carry them around during the festival. The giants measure between six and eight and half meters in length (20 to 25 ft).They are really heavy and are carried by six men who hide under the giants’ clothes. However, there are also smaller giants which are about two and a half to three meters high (8 or 9 ft) and are carried by a single person. Single carriers bring their giants to life by moving and turning them as they parade through town.

Picture taken by chaton144, Flickr

Binbin, the giant of my hometown, had a special parade last year for his 200th “birthday.” You may think that 200 years is old for a giant. Prepare yourself to be surprised! Binbin is the youngest of the Gayant family, the most famous family of giants. These giants hail from the city of Douai and Mr Gayant is more than 500 years old! The members of the family are Gayant, his wife Marie Cagenon, and their children: Jacquot, Fillon and Binbin. According to legend, the young knight Gayant saved the city of Douai from invasion by the Normands in the 9th century. The inhabitants of Douai made a statue in his honor and created a festival to thank him; however, the church banned the festival claiming it was idolatry. Nevertheless, in1530 the festival was revived and the city of Douai continues to celebrate it to this day. Nearby cities created their own versions of this popular festival by later “adopting” Gayant’s children or creating their own giant from medieval fictional characters.

Picture taken by costata, Flickr

Now, each year, during the last weekend of June or the first weekend of July, cities across Northern France and parts of Belgium celebrate the Festival of the Giants. Each celebration features outdoor music, a parade with costumed dancers and lots of candy for the children.
The giants often journey from neighboring cities to take part in the celebration. Lucky festival-goers can sometimes spot weddings between ally giants! It is a great moment that I was always anxious for when I was younger. I advise everybody to go, particularly if you have children!

Founded in 1946 by Jean Zay, the Cannes Film Festival is the most popular film festival in the world. The 62nd annual festival, hosted by French Actress Isabelle Huppert, just wrapped up on May 24th.

The red carpet has been rolled out! The Festival de Cannes screened 52 feature films from 32 different countries this year. Among those unveiled in the official selection, including off-competition screenings and the parallel section “Un Certain Regard,” which is aimed at boosting film talent. This year, for the first time in the festival’s history, an animated film was screened at the opening ceremony.

Picture taken by MyCine, Flickr

Well-established Asian and European directors dominated the list of 20 films competing for the prestigious Palme d’Or in the main selection. These films include Quentin Tarantino’s much hyped Inglorious Bastards and Lars Von Trier’s Antichrist. Festival favorites, directors Pedro Almodovar and Ang Lee, also presented films in this year.

French cinema was well represented on its own soil this year, with four French films competing in the official selection. Jacques Audiard entered his prison drama, “A Prophet”, one of the buzz films in this year’s competition. In “Wild Grass” from Alain Resnais, Georges, a character of mysterious and disturbing impulses finds a red wallet that glows seductively, and pursues the owner, Marguerite, a busy dentist who has a pilot’s license and wants nothing to do with him. Gaspard Noe’s “Enter the Void” and Xavier Giannoli’s “A l’origine” rounded out the French entries in the main festival selection.

However, unlike last year, the Palme d’Or was not won by a French film. This year’s winner was Michael Haneke’s “The White Ribbon”. Last year the award when to “The Class” from Laurent Cantet. Nevertheless, Charlotte Gainsbourg, a French actress was named best actress for her leading role in Lars von Trier’s Antichrist, the highly controversial film that depicts physical abuse and the torturing of her husband. Jacques Audiard won the “Grand Prix” and Resnais received the lifetime achievement award. Although the Festival de Cannes is an international film festival, it is France’s biggest and most important film festival of the year. France’s strong showing at the annual festival is also a testament to the influence of French cinema and culture on this global industry.
Picture taken by Haydenfilms, Flickr

Soon, we are going to celebrate Easter. This Holiday is celebrated by all Christians, though each country has very different traditions.

Picture taken by Stitch, Flickr

First, not everyone celebrates Easter at the same time! Indeed, the date is different for Western Christians and Eastern Orthodox congregations. This year, Western Christians are going to celebrate the holiday on April 12 and Eastern Christians on April 19. There are also differences in the way Easter is celebrated. Of course, there are religious celebrations, but also funny secular traditions! The French tradition says that the bells of all the churches go to Rome together with the Easter Bunny the last Thursday before Easter and does not return until Easter morning. Thus, you won’t hear any bell on the Friday or Saturday before Easter! Then, on the eve of Easter Saturday they come back from Rome and bring chocolates with them. On Sunday morning, the parents always hide chocolate eggs in their garden and the children have to hunt for them when they get up! The chocolates have many different forms, but they often come in the shape of bells, rabbits (for the Easter Bunny) and of course eggs! Sometimes the chocolates are hidden so well that you find them later in the year, or never at all. There are two games going on simultaneously: the children have to find the chocolates, and the parents have to remember where how many chocolates they have hidden in order to guide their children.
In France, families traditionally eat eggs or dishes made with eggs for lunch. When I was a child, my brother and I “helped my mother” to prepare lunch or make a cake. We would always attempt to remove the whole egg from its shell through the smallest hole possible, then wash it with caution, paint it and decorate it.

Picture taken by Rumblemumbles, Flickr

But my favorite part was looking for the chocolates! My parents always hide the biggest ones in very difficult places and we often had to climb a tree to find a huge Easter Bunny chocolate, or a giant chocolate egg with a present inside. Finding the biggest ones is not a problem! On the contrary, we never found the smallest ones…I guess the Easter Bunny hides them too well.

Last week was a special week for all French speaking countries.La Semaine de la Francophonie (Francophone or French Language Week), is celebrated across the francophone world by all states, associate members and observers affiliated with the International Organization of the Francophonie (OIF).

Picture taken by Rolye, Flickr.

French Minister of Culture Christine Albanel initiated this year’s French Language Week on March 16 with a speech titled “Words for Tomorrow.” The week culminated on March 20, the official day of French-speakers, with a conference given by Abdou Diouf, Secretary General of Francophonie, and a concert of Lebanese, Belgium and Malagasy musicians in UNESCO’s Palace in Beirut, Lebanon.

Many events were organized to promote French language and culture around the world. A film festival was held in Shanghai, a conference in Egypt, and special dinners were offered at restaurants in Boston, to name a few. The goal of Francophonie week is not only to celebrate the French language, but also to promote the language internationally. It also helps authors to promote their books, because during this week, many TV shows around the world highlight talented young French speaking writers and universities organize lectures on French language and culture.

French Language week mainly showcases French culture through cinema and literature, but each year, there are more and more conferences about the evolution of the French language. Francophone Week is really a celebration of all things French! Nonetheless, French speakers are increasingly being encouraged to think about the role of each French speaking member state of OIF and how to promote peace, democracy, and human rights in the world.

Every year on February 2nd, the French celebrate La Chandeleur—a day when everybody cooks crepes, also known as thin pancakes!

When I was a child, I loved this day because we don’t only cook the crepes, we also take part in a crepe-flipping contest. As part of the contest, we have to flip the crepe and try to catch it in the frying pan. In my family, it was really a great time for everybody! Of course, my younger brother and I always wasted some crepes because we didn’t always succeed in catching them… but as we got older, we got better at it. Now we are very proud to compete with my father to try to make the crepe turn two or three times in the air before catching it! It is a lot of fun and a good occasion to spend time together with family. I think it is the only time during the year when my mother doesn’t have to prepare the meal alone. On La Chandeleur we almost fight to cook!

According to tradition, a contestant should hold a gold coin in their hand while doing this. If they succeed in catching the crepe, it means that they won’t have money trouble during the next year. However, the special coins that we buy for La Chandeleur are too big for me and I never succeed in catching the crepe. I keep on trying every year, but I always end up giving up my coin just to compete in the crepe-flipping contest with my family members! It is also traditional to hold the coin in our writing hands and flip the crepe pan in the other. . .The whole family ends up flipping the crepe this way so as to ensure that our family will be prosperous for the rest of the year!

So, will you try to flip the crepes? And more important, will you be able to catch them…

Did you know the Music Day started in France? Every year in France since 1981, on June 21st, we celebrate “la fete de la musique”. It is a special day dedicated to music. So, all day, there are many free concerts everywhere, even in small villages. Many musicians play in the streets all night long. You can see professional musicians or amateurs alike. There is all kind of music, some people play an instrument, others sing, and some unknown bands try to gain notoriety. The most important is to have fun and to try to play good music!

But the Music Day is not the only day dedicated to music in France. There is another day dedicated, not really to music, but to musicians! November 22, many musicians celebrate “Sainte Cecile” by a special concert. It is not the same atmosphere than the Music Day, it is more formal and some bands don’t play that day but schedule their concert during the closest week end, but it is a very important concert for the musicians. For many bands, it is the occasion to show all the work they did during a year! But (unfortunately) this special day tends to be forgotten in some places and when I wish “happy Sainte Cecile” to a musician outside the North or the East of France, many people don’t know what I’m talking about.

Anyway, if you are in France the on June 21, don’t plan to sleep a lot, there are too many concerts to see, the best idea may be not to sleep at all! And, if you know music, don’t hesitate to play! You would never find a better day! If your trip to France is scheduled on November, that’s great too! Just go to Lille and see how Bands celebrate Sainte Cecile in the North of France!!!

The 12th Annual Rhode Island International Film Festival (RIIFF), which takes place August 5 -12, 2008, is featuring 300 long films, short films, and documentaries from 53 countries. The event, which is being hosted by select theaters in Providence and Newport, will be debuting some films from my native country of France.

If you are tired of the beach and the sun and are looking to immerse yourself in some foreign culture, why not join me and others in a nice cool move theater! If you like French films, there are two that I highly recommend seeing. The first is Christmas Dream (“Songe d’une Nuit de Noël”) a moving story about a young girl who runs away at Christmas. Lost in Paris, she meets a traverse flute player who helps her discover a passion for music.

I would also recommend Between the Folds, a documentary jointly produced by the United States, France, the United Kingdom and Israel. It tells the story of “10 fine artists and intrepid scientists who abandon[] careers and scoff[] at hard-earned graduate degrees – all to forge the unconventional life of a modern-day paperfolder.”

The festival is open to any movie theater professional or amateur. Film-goers can choose from a variety of pass/ticket packages. For more information, please check out the festival’s site: http://www.film-festival.org/index07A.htm

I hope to see you at the movies…

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