La Toussaint

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   Halloween is synonymous with October 31st in most Americans' minds; to the French la Toussaint means November 1st. To the kids I'm teaching it means today is the Friday before break, so it's tough to pay attention. Unless there is candy involved. They're learning about Halloween, so as long as they play along and trick or treat they get some well traveled Reese's. Peanut butter is a strange food to French people; my students didn't complain, though.

     Toussaint is a contraction of the words tous and saint, which means "all saints." To start off my lessons this week I asked the kids why France celebrates Toussaint. Many of them had no idea. Since I grew up in southwest Louisiana, I'm quite familiar with All Saint's Day. It's a holy day of obligation in the Catholic church, and since France was once predominately Catholic the holiday is still a national day off.

     More traditional French families will gather at their family's cemetery to honor their ancestors and place chrysanthemums on their graves. Chrysanthemums signify death and remembrance in France. Usually when you go to a French person's home you bring flowers as a gift. You never bring wine, unless asked, because if you're going for dinner your host probably paired a special wine with the particular dishes being served. You should also avoid chrysanthemums it would seem.

Chrysanthemums, in case you weren't sure what they look like.  Don't buy these as a gift in France.

     In Louisiana's Cajun country many families go to cemeteries for All Saint's Day. Families leave flowers, but they will also repaint and clean the graves. In other countries, like Mexico, All Soul's Day is when you would visit the family cemetery. Since November 2nd isn't a national holiday in France, the French go with the 1st.

     La Toussaint is the first major break in the school calendar. The kiddos started school on September 4, and they now have a two week break starting today. We start school again on Monday, November 12. It's a long break! So I've worked for two weeks, and now I have two weeks off. Not a bad life.

     I'm headed to London tonight to stay with a Davidson friend who is teaching at an American school there. A day trip to bath and a Ravens v. Patriots pub session are in order this weekend. More on the rest of my break later, but until then happy Friday!

Emile Friant, La Toussaint, 1888, oil on canvas. A beautiful depiction of a family headed to the cemetery. Citation.