First, referring to the candlemas, « La chandeleur » is renowned for the fact that french people eat many crepes on this occasion. Nonetheless, it is completely different for other countries that celebrate this day! At Mômji, your favorite babysitting services and english teaching jobs provider, we are eager to celebrate this day with you!
Happy Chandeleur day to all!
Did you know that? The name « Chandeleur » comes from the latin term « Festa candelarum », which means « candle party ».
Since then, Chandeleur’s celebration have become less religious and now consists
primarly in sharing homemade crepes. However, crepes also symbolize Chandeleur’s origins ; to some, their circular and golden appearance refers to the sun !
Moreover, several solo traditions still exist on this day. An old French tradition consists in handling a Louis d’or (which is an ancient french currency made of gold) while throwing the crepe in the air and making it turn on itself. If the crepe falls back down into the pan without any fold, it’s a clear sign of good fortune. Even more, for the most superstitious of you, keeping this crepe carefully in a closet could also bring good luck!
The day « La Chandeleur » arouses so many beliefs and traditions for french people, but is it the case in other countries ?
How do people around the world celebrate the 2nd day of February?
In Luxembourg, the 2nd day of February is called « Liichtmëssdag ». On that day, Luxembourgois children run around the streets with little homemade lanterns. They knock at doors and ask for sweets or money after singing popular traditional songs.
Do you know the « Día de la Candelaria » ? On this holy day dedicated to Jesus’ presentation to the temple, Mexicans enjoys their tamales ; little corn breads cooked in leaves which are then filled with salted or sugared stuffings.
In Canada as well as in the US, the 2nd day of February is defined by « Groundhog Day », called the « Jour de la Marmotte » in French. This day signifies that winter is coming to an end. On this day, people observe groundhogs’ burrows ; when a groundhog comes out, if it doesn’t see its shade because of the clouds, then winter is coming to an end. On the contrary, if its shade is perceivable, the groundhog will go back into hibernation which indicates that winter will last little longer.
The funniest thing about this tradition is that several Northern-American cities have nominated special groundhogs that announce their meteorological predictions each year!
And what about our dear British people? Do they enjoy appetising pancakes on the 2nd of February ? Well not really, because their « Pancake day » is before all the equivalent to our Mardi Gras, called « Shrove Tuesday » in the United Kingdom.
Learn how to cook good crepes !
Now that you know everything about diverse folk customs and traditions linked to the 2nd of February, here’s a short video showing how to prepare lovely crepes for the upcoming festival!
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