All courses available either in person or via Skype or Telephone. Please contact us for more information

Vous recherchez des Cours d'Anglais? Cliquez-ici.

Book now for winter 2023! Enquire Now!

French Traditions: Mardi Gras

Are you ready to get dressed up or eat pancakes? Lots of French people and people around the world celebrate Mardi Gras. But how did the name come about and what are the origins of and traditions around Mardi Gras.

Mardi Gras was originally a religious festival. It takes place 47 days before Easter, the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent when Christians traditionally abstain from eating fatty food, especially meat. Nowadays some Christians choose something else to give up for the period of Lent to represent the sacrifices that Jesus had to make during this period.

Mardi Gras or Shrove Tuesday or Pancake Tuesday is the day that is celebrated. In many countries, the festival extends to a full week before the 40 day period of lent. This festive period is often marked by carnivals around the world including in Spain, Venice, Rio de Janeiro and Dunkerque to name a few. In the Middle Ages, the fancy dress allowed class differences to be forgotten for the carnival period. Peasants could dress up as the rich and men could dress up as women.

On Mardi Gras, the tradition is to eat pancakes. This tradition was to finish stocks of eggs and butter before the fasting period of lent. French people eat pancakes (crêpes), waffles (gaufres) and donuts (beignets). In different areas of France, these delicacies have different names: merveilles near Bordeaux, beugnots in the Vosges, risoles in the Jura, bugnes near Lyon, oreillettes flavored with vanilla or orange with citrus zest in Montpellier, tourtisseaux or bottereaux in other regions.

Children in some areas dress up and ask neighbors for eggs, sugar, flour etc to make cakes or pancakes which will be eaten later in the afternoon.

November 7th, 2022
Activities News Things to do

French Christmas Traditions

Advent calendars – les calendriers de l’Avent French children open Advent Calendars like in many other countries during the month of December leading up to Christmas. Postcards from Père Noël Letters from French kids to Father Christmas always receive a response from Santa. Since 1962, France has had a…

November 3rd, 2022
News

Alpine French School au coeur de Morzine

Apprendre le français pendant ses vacances, c’est possible ! Avec Alpine french school, vous pouvez conjuguer l’utile à l’agréable. Tous les étés, dans le petit village de Morzine se réunit une irréductible équipe de professeurs pour enseigner le français à des anglophones. Précurseur, Morzine est, au début du XXᵉ siècle, un…

October 27th, 2022
News

Halloween and La Toussaint

Joyeux Halloween! Halloween in France differs from the celebration we know in english-speaking countries. This however, does not mean you can’t have your fun if you celebrate the holiday. Traditionally on the 31st October, children and adults dress up to enjoy the celebrations, either at parties or trick-or-treating in the…

September 30th, 2022
News

Emmanuel Macron and French Politics: A quick guide

The French Political System It is important to understand and be aware of the political system in France if you are planning on moving here. France is ruled by a semi-presidential system of government. The President appoints the Prime Minister as the head of said government. The bicameral parliament consists…