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The French Affair newsletter contains interesting information on France, French people and their culture. There are also competitions, special offers and news of French themed events. If you're not already part of our Francophile community, we'd love you to join us.
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Burgundy's Famous "Kir"
This popular French cocktail is drunk as an aperitif before a meal and was named after Cannon Félix Kir, priest and hero of the French resistance during World War II, and mayor of Dijon from 1945 to 1968.
He was very fond of the local white wine mixed with Creme de Cassis (blackcurrant liquor). This fondness has been variously attributed to his desire to promote local products, the fact that local wine was often somewhat acidic, so the sweetness of the liquor pleasantly offset this or perhaps just because he liked to drink.
Whatever the reason, it became the official aperitif at town hall receptions and gained increasing fame. Blackcurrants have about seven times as much vitamin C as oranges and the drink certainly seemed to agree with Canon Kir, as he lived to over ninety.
Besides the basic Kir, a number of variations exist:
- Kir Royal - made with Champagne
- Kir Pétillant - made with sparkling wine
- Communard/Cardinal - made with red wine instead of white
- Kir Imperial - made with raspberry liqueur instead of cassis, and Champagne
- Kir Normand - made with Normandy cider instead of wine.
- Kir Breton - made with Breton cider instead of wine.
- Cidre Royal - made with cider instead of wine, with a measure of calvados.
- Hibiscus Royal - made with sparkling wine, peach liqueur, raspberry liqueur, and a hibiscus flower. Also found with sparkling wine and pear schnapps.
- Kir Peche - made with peach liqueur.
- Pamplemousse - made with red grapefruit liqueur and sparkling white wine.
- Tarantino - made with lager or light ale ("kir-beer").
- the Pink Russian - made with milk instead of wine.
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Brrr .. Le Mistral ..
This strong, cold wind sweeps through parts of southern France and plays an important part in the life and culture of Provence. The mistral is usually accompanied by clear and fresh weather and it can reach speeds of more than 100 km an hour.
Life in Provence simply adapts .. the masor farmhouse traditionally faces south, with its back to the fierce gales. The village bell towers of Provence are often open iron frameworks so the wind can easily pass through - an ingenious and artistic solution. The traditional Provençal Christmas crib often includes a figure of a shepherd holding his hat, with his cloak blowing in the mistral.
The name of this famous weather phenomenon comes from the Languedoc dialect of the provençal language and means "masterly".
And you can learn more in the "Discovering Provence" DVD set.
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Hot Gypsy Swing
Gypsy jazz, gypsy swing, jazz manouche, manouche jazz!
While this music style may have many names, there's no question that it's popularity is growing.
Often said to have been started by guitarist Jean "Django" Reinhardt in the 1930s, Django was foremost among a group of Gypsy guitarists working in and around Paris in the 1930s through the 1950s.
Festivals dedicated to jazz manouche are held around the world, the most notable being France's Samois Festival du Django Reinhardt. Brisbane even has it's own Jazz Manouche Festival which is gaining an international reputation.
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Mmm .. French Wine ..
France is renown for it's wine and produces almost eight billion bottles every year. With the world's second largest total vineyard area behind Spain, France also competes with Italy for the position of being the world's largest wine producer.
Two concepts central to top end French wines are terroir, which links the style of the wines to the specific locations where the grapes are grown and the wine made, and the Appellation d'Origine Contrôlée (AOC) system. This regulates which grape varieties and winemaking practices are allowed in each of France's several hundred geographically defined appellations, which can cover regions, villages or even vineyards.
Here's a great gift idea for the wine expert in your family - or perhaps you! Designed in France by "Derriere la Porte", this funky aluminium box contains a cork screw, bottle stopper and pourer all tucked away in their own storage spots. More details click here ..
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The Story of Petanque
In the popular French game of Pétanque, players stand with feet together in a small circle, to throw metal balls as close as possible to a small wooden ball called a cochonnet (literally "piglet") or jack.
The ancient Greeks and Romans played an early version of the game and this was brought to France by Roman soldiers and sailors. It originally had a larger field and players ran before throwing the ball.
The current form of the game originated in 1907 in Provence, Southern France. A champion player developed rheumatism which prevented him from running to throw the ball. The game was modified to allow him to continue playing - the length of the field was reduced by roughly half, and the moving delivery was replaced with a stationary one.
Pétanque comes from la petanca in the Provencal dialect meaning "feet anchored".
And you can learn more in the "Discovering Provence" DVD set.
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Le Festival de Cannes
One of the big highlights on the French event calendar for May is the Cannes Film Festival. Founded in 1946, the event brings together movie heavyweights from around the globe and is one of the world's oldest and most prestigious film festivals.
The 2010 extravaganza takes place from May 12th to 23rd, 2010 in the resort town of Cannes in the south of France.
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Poisson D'Avril
You won't find many chocolate Easter bunnies in France, but the French delight in chocolate fish. Poisson d'Avril start appearing in shops on April 1st. The children use paper versions and try to stick a paper fish on the back of as many adults as possible, then run away yelling, "Poisson d'Avril!" (April fish - not April fool as it is here).
Some say this centuries old tradition evolved from sending a stooge to market to buy freshwater fish when it wasn't in season. In France, only a "fool" wouldn't know what produce was in season!
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Joyeux Noel
In France, Christmas is Noël from the French phrase "les bonnes nouvelles" meaning "the good news" which is a reference to the gospel.
Here are some other phrases to help you get through the festive season in French ..
- Merry Christmas: Joyeux Noël
- Christmas Eve: La veille de Noël
- Christmas Day: Le jour de Noël
- Santa is coming: Le Père Noël va passer
- Bring joy & happiness: Apporte joie et bonheur
- Christmas present: Un cadeau de Noël
- Best wishes: Meilleurs vœux!
- Christmas stocking: Un soulier de Noël (literally a Christmas shoe)
- Good health: Bonne santé
- Happy New Year: Bonne année
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A French Christmas Tradition
Rather than decorating a Christmas tree, most French homes display a nativity scene or creche filled with clay figures called "santons" or "little saints".
Santons became popular during the French Revolution, when many churches were closed and larger nativity scenes were outlawed. The craftsmanship needed to create many of the gaily coloured santons is absolutely astounding and the molds have been passed down from generation to generation since the 17th century. The clay is of the highest quality and the figurines are usually hand made and painted.
In addition to the usual Holy Family, santons also represent everyday people, like a mayor, baker or local priest. New figures are often added to the family collection each year. The figures are sold at Christmas fairs in Marseille and Aix.
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