Easter in France is a particularly pleasant holiday. For some it has enormous religious significance; For many others it is time to shake off the winter and enjoy the feeling that spring is just beginning. Chocolate treats, good food, holidays, and special events make French Easter special.
Easter
Pâcques (French for Easter) comes from the Latin word pascua , a Greek transliteration of the Hebrew word that denotes the feast of Passover. In the Jewish tradition, Passover deals with the Exodus from Egypt, while the Christian tradition celebrates the Last Supper of Christ before the crucifixion and resurrection. But like many of our traditions, the origins go back to pagan times, which means that our Easter now coincides with the awakening of the land from its fertility rites and winter sleep.
Carnival, which runs from mid-January to just before Easter, has also become part of the equation. Carnivals are held mainly in Catholic countries, with a particularly strong tradition in France.
Easter is celebrated throughout France with Easter Monday ( Lundi de Pâcques ) as a public holiday. On Easter Sunday church bells are rung where there are bell towers and towers filled with those glorious bells. The old idea (and one that children adore up to a certain age) is that the bells return from Rome to deliver their eggs on Easter morning.
If you are in Paris, head to the American Church or the American Cathedral, where you will find fellow Americans there to celebrate Easter.
Regional celebrations
A universal tradition is found everywhere Easter is celebrated: children hunt Easter eggs. But since France has a multi-layered history, different French regions have different traditions. If you’ve spent Easter in one region, don’t expect the same celebrations elsewhere. Two regions that are particularly exciting at this time of year are Alsace in the east and Languedoc-Roussillon in the south, an area that so close to Spain follows many Catalan traditions.
Alsace Lorraine
Colmar
The Easter markets take place during the Easter weekend in Colmar’s two historic squares: the Place de l’Ancienne-Douane and the Place des Dominicans, which were important meeting places in the Middle Ages. There are stalls and shows, food and drink and a children’s section with animals and birds. Throughout the weekend you will find music in cafes, jazz in bars and concerts everywhere. On Saturday at the Parc du Champ de Mars from 2pm to 5pm there is an egg hunt for children (2.50 euros per person).
While you’re here, be sure to see the extraordinary Issenheim Altarpiece, which is one of the best works of religious art in the world.
Languedoc-Roussillon
Perpignan
The Sanch Procession is one of those ceremonies that was assumed by the Christian church. Taking place on Good Friday in Perpignan, the long procession of figures, dressed in long black robes with distinctive peaked hoods covering their faces and led by a figure in red, meanders through the streets to the beat of tambourines. The figures belong to the brotherhood of La Sanch (the blood) which was founded at the beginning of the 15th century by Vincent Ferries in the church of St. Jacques in Perpignan.
The original purpose of accompanying convicted prisoners to their execution (hidden by robes to prevent them from being killed by their victims) was mixed with the procession of Christ to his crucifixion.
Today’s processions, commemorating the Passion and Agony of Christ, now have penitents carrying crosses and religious statues, and they make for quite an impressive and quite sinister event.
The evening processions also take place in Collioure, in the fabulous Cote Vermeille (one of the most beautiful villages in France ) and Arles-sur-Tech .
Easter food
Lamb is the traditional main dish on Easter Sunday, be it a gigot d’agneau (rack of lamb), skewers of agneau (lamb kebabs) or navarina (lamb stew). In some parts of France, particularly in the south, omelettes are also part of the celebrations.
Chocolate
Chocolate is an integral part of Easter and different forms of chocolate fill the windows of pastry shops throughout France. Covered with gold foil, or beautifully decorated, you’ll find eggs, as well as elaborate bells, chickens, bunnies, and fish, called fritures (fried whitebait) and packed in baskets or boxes. While the big chains produce good chocolate, you should seek out the true artisans of art for the actual experience. These are just a few of the many throughout France.
If you’re feeling adventurous, look out for Flavigny-sur-Ozerain in Burgundy, where Chocolat starring Juliette Binoche and Johnny Depp was filmed.
