Candlemas – La Fête de Chandeleur

La Fête de Chandeleur

Origin of La Chandeleur

La Chandeleur (Candlemas in English) is a Christian religious holiday with pagan roots originally, falling just before the ancient Roman festival of Lupercalia which was celebrated to avert evil spirits and purify the city.  It falls on 2nd February, 40 days after Christmas Day, and commemorates the Presentation of the child Jesus in the Temple of Jerusalem (La Présentation du Seigneur). La Chandeleur, also once known as La Fête des Chandelles, takes its name from an ancient tradition of lighting candles at midnight as a symbol of purification.

Pancake Day in France

In the UK Mardi Gras, 40 days before Easter, is celebrated as Pancake Tuesday; but in France it is on this earlier day of La Chandeleur that the French traditionally make crêpes (pancakes).  For a couple of weeks before La Chandeleur, supermarkets and shops all over France are full of reminders that it is coming and the shelves are stacked with frying pans, squeezy lemon juice, Nutella, rum, Cointreau and other liqueurs to douse or spread on the basic pancake.

According to one French tradition the pancakes are tossed in the pan with the right hand while holding a coin in the left hand.   If the pancake lands back in the pan, it will bring prosperity all the rest of the year.  I tried this last year – I thought the pancake landed perfectly every time, but it didn’t work!

There are lots of rhymes and sayings associated with the day; given that it falls at the beginning of February it’s no surprise that most of them to do with the weather adn the transition from winter to spring.  Here are a few examples:

À la Chandeleur, l’hiver se meurt ou prend vigueur.
At Candlemas, the winter either dies away or gets stronger.

À la Chandeleur, au grand jour, les grandes douleurs.
Candlemas, everyone knows, brings great sorrows.

À la Chandeleur, grande neige et froideur.
At Candlemas, great snow and cold.

À la Chandeleur, le froid fait douleur.
At Candlemas, the cold is pain.

Rosée à la Chandeleur, l’hiver à sa dernière heure.
If there’s dew at Candlemas, winter is almost over.

Si la chandelle est belle et claire, nous avons l’hiver derrière.
If the “candle” is beautiful and clear, we have left winter behind.

Chandeleur à ta porte, c’est la fin des feuilles mortes.
When Candlemas comes your door, it’s the end of dead leaves.

Any improvements on the translations, or other sayings, gladly received!

Meantime, happy pancake making, everyone

New Laws for Drivers and Motorcyclists in 2012

New Driving Laws in France

As of January 5, 2012, a number of new measures affecting motorists and bikers in France were announced by the Minister for the Interior.

These driving law reforms were first announced by President Sarkozy on November 30, based on decisions made in spring 2011 by the Interministerial Committee for Road Safety.

All Motorists and Bikers

Possessing any radar warning device illegal in France

The possession, transport and use of GPS radar warning devices which correlate data on the position of the radar with the  position of the vehicle calculated by the GPS is now prohibited.  Usage is subject to a fine of 1,500 euros, licence penalty 6 points and the confiscation of the device or vehicle if the device is attached to it.  The use of “active” radar detectors has always been illegal.

However, warning of dangerous and accident-prone areas which are not simply radar traps is still allowed, and these can be legally downloaded to your GPS.  Radar checks, both fixed and mobile, may “coincidentally” be among these but manufacturers have pledged not simply to report the location of radars, so the number of identified hazard areas will be far higher than the number of radars to encourage motorists to moderate their overall speed.

Driving while distracted by other activities

This decree increases the sanctions against the use of a hand-held phone. The fine goes up from 35 to 135 euros and licence penalty from 2 to 3 points.

The police have reported that some “foreign truck drivers” watch TV while driving, so watching a screen device operating in the field of vision (other than a driver assistance and navigation type GPS) by the driver of a vehicle in motion, now becomes liable to a fine of 1500 euros (instead of 135 euros) and the licence penalty of 3 points (instead of 2 points).

Other new measures

For a license plate that does not comply in terms of typeface and spacing the fine increases from 68 to 135 euros.

Straying even momentarily into the autoroute emergency lane, fine of 135 euros and licence penalty three points.  This follows cases of vehicles drifting out of control due to inattention or drowsiness.

Car Drivers

Compulsory to carry a breathalyser in the vehicle

The minister announced that from a date to be fixed (probably 1 April 2012) all cars must carry an alcohol breathalyser test.  Simple test kits can be bought from pharmacies, service stations and some supermarkets for under 2 euros, or electronic ones from about 10 euros. There are even small electronic key ring versions for about 6-8 euros.  Motorists who fail to carry an alcohol test device in the car will incur a fine of 17 euros.  The breathalyser joins the list of existing mandatory equipment for vehicles – safety vest and triangle emergency warning.  The existing fine for missing these is 135 euros for (90 euros if the fine is paid on the spot).

Failure to use, disabling or failure to maintain in working order an alcohol lock where the vehicle is fitted with one is now punishable by a fine of 750 euros. The Highway Code states that any driver of a vehicle equipped with a mandatory alcohol lock device must use this prior to starting the vehicle.

Motorcyclists

Not later than 1 January 2013, all riders or passengers of a motorcycle with a cylinder capacity exceeding 125 cc or a vehicle of category L5e (e.g.trike) exceeding 15 kW, must wear reflective clothing complying either to French standards or to other standards of an equivalent level of safety.

The reflective area can be divided in several parts over the clothing, but must have a total surface area of ​​at least 150 cm2 visible to other road users.  The material does not have to be fluorescent – only reflective -  and the colour is not fixed – it is likely that material that appears red, green or even black in daylight will conform as long as it reflects in headlights at night.

The reflective material must be worn on the upper body, between the belt line and the shoulders, so as to be visible to other road users.

The Ministry of Transport might in 2012 also make compulsory the wearing of gloves and shoes deemed suitable for driving a bike – this has to be decided.

Source material (in French)

The measures are laid out in the speech given by the Minister of the Interior on the 5th January here :

http://www.securite-routiere.gouv.fr/article.php3?id_article=4025

and there is a good summary here:

http://www.net-iris.fr/veille-juridique/actualite/29047/entree-en-vigueur-de-nouvelles-mesures-ameliorant-la-securite-routiere.php

2011 in review

The WordPress.com stats helper monkeys prepared a 2011 annual report for Visit Normandy-Pays de la Loire blog.

Here’s an excerpt:

The concert hall at the Sydney Opera House holds 2,700 people. This blog was viewed about 51,000 times in 2011. If it were a concert at Sydney Opera House, it would take about 19 sold-out performances for that many people to see it.

Click here to see the complete report.

Le Mans Christmas Market 2011

Le Mans Christmas Market

Le Mans Christmas Market and many other festive celebrations are now in full swing and the Market will run daily until Christmas Eve. The Le Mans Christmas Market village is located in Place de la République and as well as dozens of artisanal produce and craft stalls it includes a number of animations, among them a model train display.  Naturally, Father Christmas is also in attendance – in his “chalet” rather than his grotto, though.

In the old town of Le Mans – the Cité Plantagenêt – Les Nuits des Chimères returns with its wonderful “son-et-lumière” show of light projections on various buildings at nightfall.  The Christmas Nuits des Chimères  can be seen from 17th December until New Year’s Day.

From 16th to 18th December there’s a special Christmas Market of pottery and ceramics at Place de la Sirène  between 9 a.m. and 7 p.m.

From 16th to 22nd December there is an Artists’ Market in Place de la République.

These are just a few of the events – there are also concerts and other entertainments planned throughout the Xmas hoilday period.  Download the full programme of Christmas Events for Le Mans “Fête Noël“.

Château de Falaise – William the Conqueror’s Castle

William the Conqueror Statue in Chateau Square

On the way home from a visit to Ikea at Caen this week, we stopped off at Falaise to visit the Château de Falaise.

Falaise (meaning “cliff” in French) was the birthplace of William the Conqueror. The castle of Falaise overlooks the town from the high crag that the town is named after, and was the ancestral seat of the Dukes of Normandy.

Access to the interior walled defences of the castle and the battlements is free, but you have to pay to enter the large and small keeps and the Talbot Tower, the round structure that dominates one corner of the site.

There is a well-stocked gift shop with all sorts of medieval toys, models and games – plenty of stuff for kids of all ages.

The entry fee (7.50€ 2011) includes an audioguide that switches on and off automatically as you go from room to room.  We found the commentary and accompanying slideshows rather boring, with pseudo-mystical overtones.  We would have preferred something more punchy that told the history of the architecture of the château, rather than blathering on about William’s supposed dreams and the legends and myths surrounding his conception and his “destiny”.  From our point of view the audioguide for Mayenne Chateau is much better, and its displays more imaginative.

However, the views from the top of the Talbot Tower are spectacular, giving views over the entire town of Falaise and the surrounding countryside.

On the outside, but within the exterior defence walls (still under reconstruction and repair when we were there), it is easy to miss visiting the bastion that is situated behind the Visitor Centre as it is unsignposted.  It appears still to be under reconstruction but is definitely open to visit, and gives some more excellent viewpoints.

If visiting the castle, take a walk outside via the panoramic route – if driving this route there are a couple of parking places along the road.   It gives some great views of the northern and western defensive walls, the tower and keeps way above.  In the valley beneath the castle walls to the north is a cottage and large plaque and frieze marking the spot where William’s peasant mother is supposed to have been “seduced” by his father.

The Plaque and Frieze

Opening Hours

Open every day from 10:00AM to 6:00PM.

Other information

Free parking in the square near the entrance to the Château de Falaise, next to the statue of William the Conqueror, or in the car park under the southern perimeter walls.

The château interior is partly wheelchair accessible thanks to lifts between floors, but not the upper levels of the Talbot Tower.

Tel. +33 (0)2.61.41.61.44

The Castle of Falaise is approx. 80km (50 miles) from our B&B in Lower Normandy