Holidays in France
Holidays in France are unique events. Their uniqueness is marked by the colorful variety and combination of cultures from different provinces, some being rooted in ancient and medieval traditions. There are dozens of cities and small towns in France. Each place has established its own ways of celebrating culture and traditions. The French are very prudent protectors of their traditions, especially in the regions that distinguish themselves as having a unique history and heritage. Among the many holidays in France, the most remarkable are religious holidays in the name of different saints, carnivals that have roots in ancient culture, as well as the modern festivals.
Every province has its own holiday calendar containing original national and regional events and celebration occasions, which suffice to fill every weekend of the year. The French really love to relax and properly celebrate every holiday; and it doesn't really matter if it's the city or town founding anniversaries or the official day of a local horse breed. The most important thing is authenticity, the cultural peculiarity of the holiday or tradition for a particular region, as well as delicious food and wine.
In the art of relaxation, as opposed to work, the French have managed to outrun just about everyone else. Therefore you should be prepared for this distinctive feature of French nationals when you have an encounter with the French culture. Presents and gifts are the main attributes of any holiday. And with respect to the variety of beautiful and pleasant souvenirs, the French also tend to be first.
The most well known French carnival is the carnival in Nice, which takes place in February. The carnival in Nice is one of the three biggest in the world, together with Venice and Rio. It is also very old and appeared when the Duke of Anjou came here to spend a few pleasant days in 1294. Different balls, fireworks, mimes, and other outrage covered the city like a fire and everybody had to dance, wear masks and have a good time. The carnival in Nice is also a century of flower battles. Flower processions are amazing due to the presence of approximately 20 platforms decorated with fresh flowers. These platforms require around 4000-5000 flowers, each having 7 meters in length, 2 meters in width and 6 meters in height.
Bastille Day is one of the national holidays in France, and it is celebrated not only in France but in the whole world. The siege and conquest of Bastille is one of the most exciting events in world history. Bastille Day became a symbol of all political liberation achieved by revolutionary upheaval. The very name – Bastille, became idiomatic. Perhaps, even New Year's Eve cannot be compared with what is going on in Paris on the 14th of July, for Bastille Day.
One of the most unusual holidays takes place on the 1st of May – the Carnival of Lumas Snails. The main slogan of the carnival – laugh hard and yell as much as you please. This carnival is intended to honor a small species of snail that are used for medicinal purposes. The procession occurs in the Cluis commune in the Indre department, and leading the whole parade is a waxwork King of Snails. Different themes are selected for the carnival each year. During a single day of the carnival participants eat approximately 600,000 snails and drink 12,000 liters of wine.
France stands out among all the other countries due to another distinguishable feature – it celebrate the largest number of holidays dedicated to gastronomy. The French consider that the feeling of refined taste and understanding of well prepared dishes must be taught since early childhood, much like teaching a child to read. Therefore, one should not pass out on a such a remarkable event as the Chestnut Holiday. A special type of chestnuts is cultivated in France, called the Cougoudon, which is the main specialty of the Chestnut Holiday. And in the end of October, during the Chestnut Holiday, the whole country is filled with the soothing aroma of fried chestnuts. Nobody can resist the pleasures hidden inside a small bag of chestnuts. Unusual as it may seem, the taste of chestnuts is very hard to compare and just as hard to forget.
