As we enter into a brand new year of linguistic and cultural sharing, there is no better time to get ourselves reinvested in the things that we enjoy…or thought we enjoyed. It is only too easy to let the goals we make - to enjoy ourselves more or engage in fun, cultural, interesting activities - become a chore that we have to follow through with. Did we realize that to pursue that dream of learning French we were giving up our Saturday mornings for a class?
The beginning of a new year is a time not only to look forward, but also to look back on what has gotten us where we are - with our families, careers and pastimes, failures and successes. Here at the Alliance, we’re reminded that French is not only the memorization of masculine versus feminine and passé composé versus imparfait drills, it is also the portal to exploration of new parts of the world, our global history, and our shared – although varied - human experience.
So here’s to language letting us see a quirk in Alsacien construction, encountering cultural differences in shared holidays, and discovering the origins of childhood memories. And in all parts of our lives, as 2012 begins let us go forward, reengaging with our passions and resolving to always find new ways to reinspire ourselves.
Five fun facts to kick off a new year exploring la francophonie
5. Homes in the region of Alsace in France are termed “mobilier,” French pertaining to something moveable, rather than “immobilier” as real estate is termed in the rest of the country, due to the fact that Alsacien homes were historically built with the intention of one day being displaced as part of a bride’s dowry
4. The francophone country of Benin, in West Africa, is considered the birthplace of voodoo, a hybrid, highly spiritual religion that grew from elements of Christianity mixed with local traditions. The practice was carried across the Atlantic during the slave trade and still maintains a foothold in contemporary societies of the Western Hemisphere. It is still particularly associated with French-influenced Haiti and New Orleans.
3. The Belgian city of Wépion hosts a musem dedicated to the strawberry. La musée de la fraise offers a history of strawberry cultivation, products derived from the strawberry, as well as an exploration of strawberry festivals and the region around Wépion.
2. April Fool’s Day is generally agreed to have originated in France in 1582 due to the switch from the Julian calendar to the Gregorian calendar, which shifted the beginning of the year from April 1 to January 1. Because
communication traveled so slowly, many were unaware that the change had even occured (while others were simply disinclined to accept such a drastic change). Those who continued to celebrate the new year on April 1 came to be regarded as obstinate and backwards, encouraging others to mark them “fools” and play pranks on them for being half-witted and stubborn. Today in France, revelers pin “poissons d’avril” to mark each other the fool, stemming from the idea that an early (or young) fish is the easiest to catch.
1. French author, Charles Perrault modified ancient folktales to help create the new genre of fairy tales, giving us the modern storyline for several of today’s most well known tales, including Cinderella (Cendrillon), Little Red Riding Hood (Le petit chaperon rouge), and Sleeping Beauty (La belle au bois dormant). In fact, it was Perrault in the 1600s (nearly a century before the Brothers Grimm) who added such details as the pumpkin carriage, the fairy godmother, and the glass slipper to Cinderella. He was also inspired by the Château d’Ussé near Chinon, France, for the setting in Sleeping Beauty.
