#7 Learn about Easter in France

Spring Easter! Easter Pâques

1. What day is Easter?

Unfortunately, Easter is not very popular in Japan.

Did you know that each country in the world has its own unique culture?

This time we'll share our Easter experience in France!

What is Easter?

If asked this question, I think many people would honestly not know how to celebrate.

Around April, eggs and rabbits often appear on television, in advertisements, and in supermarkets, so that image is strong, and in fact, that's probably all most people know about them.

Easter in France is called Pâques and is a festival that celebrates the resurrection of Christ as well as spring.

Did you know that Easter is not just about eggs and bunnies , but also about bells ?

It is said that Christ was crucified and died three days before Pac. There is a legend that the church bells did not ring for three days until Pac's Day as a moment of silence for Christ.

Bells are rung on Easter to announce the resurrection of Christ, and bells are important to the French.

Do you know the funny story about Easter bells?

The story about the bell? That was just now...

Yes, that's not wrong either.
But it seems there are others too.

Oh, so what's the story?

Um...

To give people dreams of Easter, one Thursday in April the bells set off to Rome to meet the Pope, and three days later they returned with a lot of eggs as a souvenir, and the bells rang out for the first time in three days. Apparently, in neighboring Germany, there was a story about a rabbit hiding eggs all over town.

Interesting! I didn't know there was a story like this.

By the way, this year's Easter will be held from April 4th to 5th, 2021.

Does this year change every year?

Yes, it seems to change depending on the full moon.
It's a pain, isn't it?

That's true. By the way, how do you celebrate?

That's right.
So let's take a look at how the French family spends Easter!

2. One Easter Day

Easter is as important to the French as Christmas.

It's a big event, especially for the kids!

〇Make Easter eggs (oeufs de Pâques).

Eggs are said to represent life and resurrection.

- Cut a round hole in the bottom of the egg to remove the yolk and white (and also make a hole to remove the contents) .

- Decorate the cleaned eggs as you like.

Make and decorate with your children.

〇The long-awaited lunch!

On Easter, eggs are a must, as they are said to bring good health, and lamb is also an essential part of the meal. French style is to eat a leisurely meal with the whole family.

*Why not try the braised lamb confiture de vin?

〇Egg hunting...

It somehow sounds bad...
But don't worry! This event is the best part of Easter.

Adults hide egg-shaped chocolates in parks or their own backyards and children search for them.

See how many eggs you can find!

Meanwhile, the adults

Adults exchanged Easter-exclusive chocolates and made Easter sweets, creating an atmosphere similar to Valentine's Day in Japan.

Easter chocolates come in a variety of shapes, including eggs, rabbits, lambs, bells, and chickens.

Remember, the chicken is a symbol of France!

In addition to chocolate, there are also unique gifts such as eggs and rabbit ornaments...

*De Marlieu chocolats How about some colorful chocolates?

Looks so fun!

It's fun.
For kids, it's all-you-can-eat chocolate.

But I'm afraid I'll get angry...

Well, that's also a memory.
By the way, the culture of Easter eggs is related to the fasting period during Lent. Since people could not eat meat or eggs, they would peel the eggs, paint the shells and give them as gifts.

That's right.
By the way, what kind of sweets do you have?

That's very well said.
There is no one sweet that is truly Easter, but I'd like to introduce some sweets that are commonly made for Easter.

3. Easter desserts

▲Anjo Pascal

Click here for the Anjo Pascal mold!

Easter eggs

A cookie shaped like an egg, similar to a lunette.

Lunettes are French cookies with two holes filled with jam or chocolate.
Lunettes is the French word for glasses .

Easter eggs are made in the same way as lunettes.

Two egg-shaped cookies, one of which has a hole resembling the yolk.

Spread jam on one cookie without a hole, place another on top, and sprinkle with powdered sugar to finish!

It's best to choose an orange or yellow jam that is close in color to the yolk.

If you make two holes like in a lunette... you get twins!

Agneau de Pâques (Easter Lamb)

This dessert is a local sweet from the Alsace region.

A dessert made by pouring sponge cake into a ceramic lamb mold and baking it.

The name of this sweet is Anjo Pascal!

By the way, we sell this model.

It's a delicate mold so please handle it gently and with care.

I was surprised at the variety of desserts available.

The desserts served vary depending on the household and region.

What kind of desserts did you have at home, Olivier?

It's okay for me. It's a long time ago.
In Japan, spring means graduation season, right?

Yes, graduation and enrollment are in the spring.

(Actually, there is also Hinamatsuri...)

Do you know when graduation season is in France?

Umm, when is that...?

Yes, time's up.
The answer is the rainy season! Although there are no special events like in Japan.

Aren't you going to have a graduation ceremony?

I don't do that.
But there's a long, long vacation ahead of me.

The French really love vacations.

Of course!
Perhaps the reason Easter isn't so popular in Japan is because there are already so many events going on.

It's true that in spring there are events like Setsubun, Hinamatsuri, graduation ceremonies, entrance ceremonies, and cherry blossom viewing.

One reason for this may be that there is no set date for Easter.

Oh, I see.

Next time, I'll introduce nougat. Look forward to it!