French with Nicole

 Wonderful drawings of the Eiffel Tower from my Y3!

  The first of May has been an annual public holiday in France, known as La fête du travail (labour day)  since 1948. It  also marks a beautiful tradition  “la fête du muguet”   (lily of the valley festival). Back on 1 st  May 1560, King Charles IX of France was presented with a bouquet of  muguet  ( lily of the valley )   as a lucky charm. The king appreciated the gift so much that he decided to gift a bunch of lily of the valley to the women of his court every year on the 1 st  May. The gesture became more commonplace at the beginning of the 20 th  century with men presenting the flowers to women to show their affection. Today, it has become traditional to give a sprig of the blooms (or send a card) as a token of love or friendship and good luck to close friends and family members. For just one day each year, the French government allows the tax-free sale of lily of the valley on the street to promote this tradition. I rememb...

  Pâques   (Easter )  is one of the most important holidays in France and is celebrated with a traditional family gathering. Food is, of course, the main focus of the celebration with  l’agneau pascal  (roast lamb) taking centre stage. If you are walking around a French supermarket at Easter time, you might wonder why there are  les cloches de Pâques  ( chocolate bells ) alongside the more familiar eggs. Traditionally, church bells ring every day of the year to invite faithful to attend the Mass. The only exception is in the run up to Easter, when they do not ring between Good Friday and Easter Sunday to commemorate the death of Christ and his resurrection. Myth has it that during this time, the bells fly to Rome to be blessed by the Pope.  The bells return the evening before Easter Sunday and randomly drop treats for children. On Sunday morning someone will shout  “ les cloches sont passées ”  (the bells have gone by)  and the chil...

  Alongside Easter French children follow April Fools’ Day traditions in  the spring. On 1st April, people use  paper fish  to play an April Fools trick. This involves  sticking  a paper fish onto the back of as many adults as possible. And then running away yelling  “Poisson d’Avril !”  (April Fish!). Yes, you had better check your back if you happen to be in France on that day! It is the ideal day for children (and grown-ups alike!) to tell funny jokes to those around them, including family members, friends, teachers, neighbours, colleagues at work, etc. The origin of the April Fish in France is relatively obscure.. A new date has come! A long, long time ago, the new year started on the 1st of April. This date ended in the mid-16th century. In his proclamation of Paris in January 1563,  King Charles IX  (1550–1574) made a swift change to the French calendar.The King of France wanted the year to start on the 1st of January a...

  In France, in order to be a candidate in a French election, you have to be a French citizen aged 18 years or over and need to collect at least 500 signatures (or  parrainages ) from elected officials to back your campaign. The French word “ parrainage”   means sponsorship or guardianship. The word derives from “ parrain”  – godfather. The signatures can be collected from anyone elected to public office from village mayors to MPs, MEPs and Senators. However, the officials must come from: ·          At least 30 different French “ départements” (equivalent of counties in the UK) or overseas French territories ·          With no more than 50 signatures coming from one “ département” or overseas territory. This year, candidates have until March 4th to gain the signatures they need. French social media users have recently spotted many obscure politicians tweeting pi...

  Chouchou , pronounced “shou-shou”, has a variety of uses.  The word chouchou is mostly used as a childish term of endearment to imply that someone is the favourite person in the group – to this end, it is often used in a school setting, typically to say that someone is a teacher’s pet. “ C’est le chouchou du prof ” ( he is the teacher’s pet). The word chouchoute will be used for a girl or a woman.  In broader terms, it can also mean that someone is the favourite (darling) of a nation, political group or a movement. In a different context, chouchou also translates as a “scrunchy” used to hold a ponytail or a bun together. Finally, the term chouchous is used to describe caramelised peanuts, a traditional sweet in France. French language can be complex at times!!!

  In France, a woman’s birth name appears on all official documents. While it is common for women from nations such as Ireland, Australia, UK and the USA, to change their name on passports and driving licences when they get married, in France these documents remain in the name you were born with. Upon marrying, a woman in France gains the right to use her spouse’s surname, but it never becomes her actual name. For instance, Monsieur Dubois’s wife may be known as Madame Dubois but her passport, driving licence and all other official documents remain in the name she was born with.   For all administrative dealings, Madame Dubois will still be identified by her birth name, Madame Chevalier. Legally speaking – public servants are not allowed to call a citizen by any other name than the one shown on their birth certificate. In the wake of the revolution, a law was passed in August 1794 stating, “No citizen can use a first name or surname other than that written on their bir...

  Because Strasbourg is the seat of dozens of international organisations and bodies, including the European parliament, Alsace is politically one of the most important regions in the European Union. Even though Alsace is part of France, the region boasts a very distinctive culture, in part due to its long periods spent under German influence. In 1871, following its victory in the Franco-Prussian War, the new German Empire claimed Alsace Lorraine region. The occupation lasted until 1918 when, after Germany's defeat in the First World War, the region was once more annexed to France under the Treaty of Versailles. Germany occupied the region again during the Second World War. During this time, people from Alsace became German citizens by decree from the Nazi government. A complex history to say the least. Alsace changed hands four times between France and Germany in 75 years! Although the historical language of Alsace is Alsatian, a Germanic language, today Alsatians speak Frenc...

  SNCF (French railway) has announced it will no longer sell water in plastic bottles on its services! The move should reduce the waste of about two million drinks. Recyclable cardboard for still water and aluminium for sparkling will replace the plastic packaging. The head of consumer travel operations at the SNCF, Alain Krakovitch, wrote on Twitter “Plastic is no longer fantastic,” France is gradually increasing restrictions on single-use plastic packaging to help reduce waste amid growing evidence about the impact of plastic on sea life in particular. Last Monday, the government announced the ban of the use of plastic packaging for the majority of fruits and vegetables as from January 2022. A ccording to the environment ministry, 37 percent of fruits and vegetables are sold with plastic packaging, and only the most fragile produce such as strawberries will be given an exemption from the ban until 2026. “We use an outrageous amount of single-use plastic in our daily lives,”...

  When I am in France, the number of English words used never cease to surprise me. Anglicisms, words borrowed from the English language, are current in many countries including France. In spite of the French Academy’s resistance, over 8% of French common words are Anglicisms. A few examples below highlight the extent to which Anglicisms are now part of every life in France. Media and Entertainment Talk-show, News, Prime-time, Scoop, Buzz, People, One-man-show, Interview, Best-of, Star, Standing ovation, Zapping/zapper, Story-board, Making-of, Thriller, Story-telling, Remake, Teaser,   Sitcom, Best-seller, Box-office, Hit Parade. Sport and leisure Match, Football, Jogging, Sponsor/sponsoring, Fan, Goal-average, Hooligan, DJ (disque-jokey), Strip-tease, Peep-show, Happy hour, Brunch, Tour-opérateur, Low-cost. Internet and digital Le Web, Laptop, Uploader (conjugable,) Screenshot, Zoom, Rebooter (un ordi, )Downloader (conjugable), Geek, Nerd, Poster, Post,   Plu...

  Cannon-shooting, pigeon racing and ballooning – yes, these really were events in the Paris Olympic Games of the past! In 2024, 15,000 of the world’s finest athletes will gather in Paris for the ultimate sporting test: the Olympic Games. The City of Light has already hosted two Games, in 1900 and 1924, and with a century between its last and next Olympics, it’s no surprise that plenty has changed. Paris Olympic Events – Then The Olympic Games in 1900 saw a number of events run for the first – and only – time. One of these was the ball game Basque Pelota, which saw only two teams participate – unsurprisingly, these were France and Spain. The 1900 shooting events involved live pigeons as the target, while yet more birds took part in pigeon racing as a demonstration sport – none of the 7,721 feathered participants in the latter were killed, however. Other unusual events in 1900 included kite-flying, ballooning and cannon-shooting! Paris Olympic Events – Now Break-dancin...

Arial displays above the Grand Palais in Paris Everyone knows the story behind Bastille Day, right? The lowly French peasants rose up against the cruel rich aristocracy, freed their comrades from prison, and founded the French Republic we know today. But there are some little-known facts and myths about the fateful day which shaped French history. Did you know… In France no-one calls it Bastille Day?  It is either referred to as le Quatorze Juillet (14 th   July) or la Fête Nationale (The National Holiday). The infamous storming of the Bastille prison only freed a handful of prisoners? Whilst the revolutionary’s expected to find numerous inmates, the prison was nearly empty except for 7 political prisoners in good health. The identities of the infamous 7 were never confirmed. Several different dates were considered for the national holiday?  In 1880, the French senate thought the country needed a new national holiday and, after much debate, it was agreed that 14th July wo...

  The world’s most famous cycling race began this weekend but did you know there is more to the Tour de France than bikes and Lycra! Surrounding the race itself is a carnival atmosphere of floats, live music and free products from sponsors. The towns, villages and hamlets on the route will spend months preparing for their 30 seconds of fame as the riders race through and then spend years talking about the day the Tour came to town. I still remember, at Junior school – only a few years ago…, being allowed to line the pavement outside the school to watch the tour go by! The stages often pass through some of the most spectacular and often rarely seen parts of France. So even if you aren’t into cycling, it is worth watching the race to enjoy the stunning scenery. Want to find out more about the race itself? Then read on! The Tour de France was created in 1903 by Henri Desgrange, a cyclist and journalist. The famous race attracts thousands of enthusiastic cycle followers and usua...

The b lue plaque commemorating the stay of the Emperor Louis  Napoleon III  in King Street (St James) is the earliest surviving  plaque in London . The use of the colour blue was rare and not often repeated at the time as it was expensive to produce. It is actually the only blue   plaque installed during the recipient's lifetime. Following the fall of the Second French Empire in 1870 and exiled from France, Napoleon III (Bonaparte’s nephew), his wife Eugénie and their son the Prince Imperial sought refuge in England. The family eventually took residence at Camden Place in Chislehurst where the Emperor spent the rest of his life. He was consequently buried at St Mary’s Roman Catholic Church in Chislehurst. Following the death of the Prince Imperial at the age of 23, the grief-stricken Empress Eugénie set about to establish a monument to her family and founded St Michael Abbey in Farnborough as a mausoleum for her husband and son. The abbey featured an Imperia...

  It is fair to say that the French numbering system is rather bizarre and can be challenging! I do sympathise with students learning French as getting to grips with numbers is tricky! For example, “ quatre-vingt-dix-neuf ” (99) translates as “ four twenty ten nine ” – rather than ninety-nine! Another example, “ soixante-dix-sept ” (77) translates as “ sixty ten seven ” and rather than the more logical seventy-seven! Starting at zero, i t is fairly smooth sailing until you get to “ soixante-neuf ” (69). Then funny phrases start to creep in, as there is not a separate word in French for seventy, or eighty, or even ninety for that matter. Even a proficient French speaker will remember that all-too-familiar moment where you freeze as you are jotting down a phone number: what you thought was sixty something turns out to be 75! In order to get to grips with these higher numbers it seems that you need to be good at mental maths…  “ Soixante-dix-sept ” (77) for example, equates to...