Learn how the French celebrate November first and second, commonly referred to in France as All Saints Day and All Souls Day, respectively
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| INTRODUCTION |
| Céline: So today, we are going to talk about the dead. |
| Sam: The dead? |
| Céline: The dead. You know dead, life, death? The day of the dead, more exactly. |
Lesson focus |
|---|
| Sylvain: Umm what is the day of the dead? That’s Sam’s question. |
| Céline: Even though many people connect the day of the dead with Latin countries especially in North America, we French people do celebrate it too. |
| Sylvain: Oh wow! That’s interesting to know. Would the day of the dead be in October or November? |
| Céline: Well, first of all in France, we have two days. The day of the dead which is November 2nd and the day of the Saints which is November 1st, however in France, people are devoted to the dead the day of the Saints. So it takes place on the 1st of November and we refer to it as: La Toussaint. |
| Sam: La Tou... what? |
| Sylvain: J’ai la toux hahaha. |
| Céline: I have a cough. Terrible joke my friend. La Toussaint, in one word. If you break it down, you will find “tous” meaning all and “saints” which is saints in English. |
| Sam: Ah but of course, all saints day. |
| Sylvain: Le premier novembre, la Toussaint, is actually un jour férié. |
| Sam: Nice Franglish phrase. You said “un jour férié”? |
| Céline: Yes “un jour férié” is a holiday when people are off work. I think we mentioned that word in another culture class. |
| Sylvain: That might be. You know mankind even with culture and mentality difference has much more in common that one can imagine. |
| Sam: Why do you mention that? |
| Sylvain: Because the origin of the holiday is found all over the globe in various countries. |
| Céline: Yeah. I should add, it’s certainly based on the fear of the unknown after death. |
| Sam: Which has been felt for ages by anyone at any place. Okay I follow you on that. |
| Sylvain: Today’s celebration of “la Toussaint” has its roots in France and Europe when monks were spreading their face in Ireland and Great Britain and La Gaule in the 5th century. |
| Sam: What was La Gaule again? |
| Céline: It was the foundation of France. To be exact, it was the present French, Belgium and northern Italian territory and our traveling ancestors ruling called “les Gaulois” during the Roman empire. |
| Sam: “Les Gaulois” being the people from “Gaule”? |
| Sylvain: Exact. While the monks were executing their mission, they confronted the pagan celebration of Samhain corresponding to the dark half of the year. |
| Sam: Ah Samhain from which Halloween comes from. |
| Céline: Yes the dark half of the year relates to the shorten of light during the day and therefore nights get longer till the next spring equinox announcing the season of light when days get longer. |
| Sam: Once the monks did their job, what happened? |
| Sylvain: Later in the beginning of the 7th century, the Church dedicated the day for the mother of God, and was changed in 830 to celebrate All Saints on November 1st. |
| Sam: Wow! What an amazing story. |
| Céline: Yes and all related to religion my friend. |
| Sam: Are the French into religion? Is the day of the dead an important day in France? |
| Sylvain: Well of course it is but as you may know, some people are losing their faith in these days. |
| Sam: So what do people usually do on these days? |
| Céline: Usually people bring flowers to the graves and say prayers over the dead. In my family, we usually go the day before as it’s getting very busy. |
| Sam: So there is a big flower business that day, right? |
| Sylvain: Yeah especially for chrysanthèmes d’automne. |
| Sam: Chrysanthemums of autumn. |
| Sylvain: which is the flower the most sold at this time of the year. |
| Sam: Do you have mass too? |
| Céline: Sure. It is called “la messe de la Toussaint”. |
| Sam: Mass for All Saints Day. |
| Sylvain: And the school holidays which are as well called “les vacances de la Toussaint”. This year, it is from October 25th to November 6th. |
| Sam: Ah so there is vacation for All Saints Day. So this day and this event is quite ingrained into French culture right? |
| Céline: Yes but not in a religious way. |
| Sam: Ah wow! What an interesting culture class mes amis! |
| Céline: Yes. |
| Sylvain: You have to put some flowers into to the grave. |
| Céline: You remember when? |
| Sam: November 1st. |
| Céline: Oui! |
| Sylvain: Good! |
| Céline: So, why don’t we join spanishpod101 team and go to Mexico for “El día de los muertos” The Day of the Dead? |
| Sam: Sounds good. |
| Sylvain: Good idea. |
| Céline: Okay, let’s go. |
Outro |
| Sam: Okay, until the next time! |
| Sylvain: See you. |
| Céline: Bye bye. |
Comments
HideHow does your family celebrate either All Saints Day or the Day of the Dead?
Bonjour Maru,
That's very interesting, thank you for your comment!
Belle journée,
Marion
Team FrenchPod101.com
Here in Mexico the Day of the Dead celebration is a very important thing. Honoring our dead is a family and cultural tradition.
Here at home we place an altar with the pictures of our love ones and, depending of the day, we start adding food, the favourite things of each person so they can come back and celebrate with us.
Bonjour Angèle, Munia et Carey,
Thank you all for your comments!
And Angèle is right. Dressing up isn't very common in France, some kids do for Halloween but I think it mostly depends on local traditions. Some adults may dress up for parties and/or Halloween but again, that's only for special events and not very often!
Bonjour Martel,
Thank you for your input!
Bonne journée,
Marion
Team FrenchPod101.com
It's unlikely that the Samhain has any connection at all with All Saint's Day because the celebration of martyrs and the dead existed before the date was formalized onto November 1st. What they were celebrating and how they were celebrating it are fundamentally different.
Hi Careyxxx
They do even though carnival lost our interest or at least where I am from (Strasbourg). Halloween took over and adults celebrate it mainly in restaurants or bars where special evening are organized and many people are dressed up.
I also remember when I was "au collège" (which is junior high) we use to go to class around carnival dressed up just for fun.
Lol Munia! Of course, I should have known! Nos vemos!
I have seen pictures in the newspaper of how one Latin American country celebrates the Day of the Dead: they wear costumes of skeletons and vampires. It looks like how the Americans celebrate Halloween on the night of October 31st. People dress up as witches, skeletons, vampires and a whole lot of other things, but the mood is very different. It started out as a fun activity for children, but now the adults get into it more than the children. The costumes that I enjoyed seeing the most were a man wearing a disposable diaper, a man dressed up in a gay S&M costume, and a man wearing a male Hawaiian hula dancer's attire which has no underwear. Quand il fait du vent, on voit les fesses.
Do people in France dress up in costumes?
Here is Spain, of course! Where else? :wink:
Remind our audience, where is "here"? :wink: (really it could be anywhere or maybe overthere ... ? )
My family doesn't do anything special, but the celebration here is similar to that on France. People often visit the cemeteries and bring flowers to the dead.