14 minute read
La Vie En France
Fish and Bells
by Sue Burgess
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“Poisson d'Avril“ (April Fish). Did you notice anyone laughing at you on 1st April? You probably had a paper fish “poisson en papier” stuck to your back “collé dans le dos”. As in England, French youngsters and adults too for that matter, like to play practical jokes “une farce / une tour” on April 1st. Children cut out paper fish and try to stick them on your back. A few years ago, a famous local "Poisson d'Avril" brought people rushing out to Place de la Brêche in Niort when the local rag published a photo of the square without its large old trees.
Chocolate fish are very popular on the 1st April and "friture" (small chocolate fish) can be bought in most bakeries.
So what’s the origin of this tradition? Well, one theory is that when Charles IX decided, in 1564, to fix the date of the new year on January first, (it had previously begun at Christmas in some regions and on 25th March in others with celebrations going on until the 1st April), some people continued to offer gifts and presents “les étrennes” on the 1st April. Others made fun “se moquer” of them and these tricksters “farceurs” offered make believe presents “des faux cadeaux”.
Another theory says that as fishing was forbidden at the beginning of April “la pêche était interdite“ during the reproduction period, fishermen “les pecheurs“ were given a dead herring “un hareng“. The dead fish hung on the back was replaced by a paper fish. Another more recent idea has it that the fish is a symbol of Lent “le Carême” when Catholics didn’t eat meat.
Finally, another theory is that the fish came from the Zodiac sign of Pisces “le signe du zodiaque Poisson” which is the last sign of winter. At the beginning of the 20th century people used to send cards on the 1st April that were illustrated with fish to wish each other love, friendship and happiness, “amour, amitié et bonheur”. Easter customs are a little different too. It's not the Easter rabbit “lapin” who brings the Easter eggs but the church bells “Les cloches”. Tradition says that church bells fly off to Rome on Good Friday to be blessed and that they drop the chocolates in the garden as they fly back on Easter morning. The church bells do not ring between Good Friday and the end of the first Easter services on the Saturday evening, the night before Easter.
Vocabulary / Vocabulaire
Pêche Interdite
No fishing Le hareng herring Le poisson en papier paper fish La friture small fried fish, now also small chocolate fish Une farce/ une blague practical joke Une histoire drôle a funny joke / story Une cloche a bell
Un lapin a rabbit Une poule a hen
Un poussin a chick Un œuf en chocolat Easter egg Le mardi gras Shrove Tuesday Le mercredi des cendres Ash Wednesday Le Carême Lent Vendredi saint Good Friday (not a bank holiday in France) Le lundi de Pâques Easter Monday
April 2022
What happens when a loved one passes away in France by Chloé Louise Moore
In France, when someone dies, it's not always clear what happens next. What do you do when a loved one passes away? The good news is that the process for dealing with death in
France is relatively straightforward, but there are some things you should know and be prepared for.
The First Steps.
When someone passes away in France, there are a few steps you can expect to be faced with: If your loved one who passed didn’t have a will, their estate will be distributed among their heirs in accordance with French law. This can be a complicated process and it is important to seek legal advice.
It’s also important to understand that, unlike in the UK, inheritance is given to children first and not spouses. I can also accompany anyone who needs to make important appointments to deal with the death of a loved one, and is afraid of the language barrier.
Celebrating Life.
• First, the death is declared by a medical professional.
Then it must be registered with the local authorities.
This can be done by a family member, friend, the funeral home or by the hospital in the case of a death on their premises.
The death needs to be registered within 24 hours of the declaration being made (outside of weekends and bank holidays of course). This can be done at the local Mairie. You will need to bring the loved one's ID as well as your own, and the certificate given to you by the medical professional who declared the death.
• You will be given a death certificate, and this is going to be a very important document to have. It will be useful when handling the inheritance, insurance and also serve as proof if you need to take time out of work/ school. In France, there are different types of funeral ceremonies available. The most common would be a religious ceremony, which can be held in any religious venue (e.g. a church). Secular ceremonies are also available, which can be held in a variety of locations. As you are probably aware, funerals are unfortunately extremely expensive. The price does, of course, vary depending on the type of ceremony and the location but can very quickly become a financially stressful time as well. To offset all of these unpredictable costs, I highly recommend taking out funeral cover insurance. This will make this very difficult time just a little easier for those involved. If you’re in need of recommendations for insurances, I’m more than happy to help you find the right policy for you.
How much tax does the Government take on an inheritance?
It’s important to know that you have no obligation to accept an inheritance. You are allowed to refuse an inheritance without having to give a reason why.
Contrary to popular belief, inheriting is not free. The amount of tax the French government takes does vary however, and depends on a few things such as the amount of money left behind and the relationship between the heir and the deceased. It is best to fully understand what tax you’ll need to pay before accepting an inheritance. It is also important to remember that there will be Notaire fees to pay. If you need any advice on whether to accept an inheritance or not, and what accepting an inheritance will entail, feel free to get in touch.
Do I need a Will?
Nobody is obliged to have a will but it is highly recommended to ensure that your wishes are carried out.
Burial/Cremation.
Regarding burials, there are no restrictions as to where a body can be buried. However, you should ask the local Mairie for permission to bury your loved one if the deceased wanted to be buried somewhere other than where they lived or passed away.
As for cremations, there are some restrictions. You cannot keep the ashes and if you wish to scatter them it must be done in designated areas. If you wish to bring the urn back to the UK, it will need to be sealed by the police/ gendarmes beforehand. If you let the funeral home know in advance that you wish to bring the ashes to the UK, they will deal with the formalities for you. If you’re dealing with the death of a loved one in France, please don’t hesitate to contact me for any kind of support and assistance. You’re not alone. Chloé
Life in 79
That sinking feeling
by Stephen Shaw
For some reason, we had decided to take the ferry back to the UK. Less driving, cabin, meal on board...a bit like a mini cruise? We were taking the van so that Anna, my wife, could buy a few things to bring back (in my mind I was thinking a jar of Marmite and a packet of bacon, how wrong I was). We were also dropping off 43 bottles of French wine to some friends who had recently moved back to the UK, and struggling to adjust to British prices.
We found ourselves killing time in the very up market town of Marlborough (the ferry having dropped us off at 6.30am - we were awoken by three refrains of some soothing lute music piped over the tannoy).
Anna had bought a furry coat from Noz, but the English climate didn't seem to agree with it and the thing had started moulting on her all black outfit. We tried to purchase a defluffer from Waitrose, but had to settle for a roll of sellotape, which we wrapped round our fingers then patted her down. shape of Storm Eunice. Everyone on the TV was telling us not to go out, “Anna, we'll have to cancel Cambridge, it's not safe, we might get hit by a flying wheelie bin”. Anna:“We'll be okay, it's not that bad”. At that moment there was an almighty crash as my son's garden fence was blown into the side of the house. So we stayed in all day exchanging Christmas presents and playing Camel Up (a complicated board game based on Camel racing) ... and I watched Anna suffering withdrawal symptoms.
After delivering the wine and having a guided tour around our friends new house we were looking forward to reconnecting with the English countryside around Compton Bassett (where they now live), we were really hoping to bump into Robbie Williams who has a large house there - but it didn't stop raining.
Next port of call was my father's house, where we were basing ourselves, he lives near many shops. My father is in the process of downsizing (which he has been doing for several years), I had offered our van to transport some of his no longer required junk to the local dump. Anna was worried that this might impact on her schedule, only allowing three full days of shopping. And shop she did! TK Maxx, Home Sense, Dunelm, B&Q, Wickes - and that was just the first morning! In the afternoon Anna had arranged to meet our daughter and her boyfriend, “where” I hear you enquire? In the Atria shopping centre in Watford, the biggest shopping centre in Christendom. That evening I was already experiencing shopping fatigue and had to hit my dad's wine ... hard. When the storm abated it was back down the A1 to my dad's house for a family shindig. He's moving house in June, so this was billed as a farewell to the family home, although he announced he was planning another later in the year. He's a sentimental old fool my dad, any excuse to shed a few tears. He can well up at anything...usually his own jokes. He rarely reaches the punchline without his voice going quavery and the handkerchief coming out.
The following morning we packed the van with all the purchases, like a game of Tetris, every available inch of space was utilised.
We said our goodbyes and set off for Portsmouth. At about the same time Storm Franklin was swinging into town. The further south we travelled the more the wind picked up. By the time we reached Portsmouth, we had to stagger at a 45 degree angle to McDonald's. While there we were informed, by email, the ferry would be going to Cherbourg and not Caen - I was worried it was sailing anywhere.
For several hours we waited in the port, before being ushered on board. Then straight to the bar, where we sank two of those little bottles of wine each...to help us sleep. SLEEP! It was akin to sleeping on the end of a see-saw. After five hours of staring at the cabin's ceiling, listening to the creaking of the boat's infrastructure and wondering if I had put my handbrake on...the lute music came over the tannoy.
In the latter part of the week we visited my son and his fiancée who live in Letchworth. This gave Anna a whole new selection of retail parks to visit: St.Albans, Hitchin, the Hatfield Galleria - on Friday she was planning a trip to Cambridge, but then a stroke of luck rocked up in the
If you would like to read more ramblings from Mr Shaw, go to www.lifein79.blogspot.com
Princess in residence
by Jacqueline Brown
Imentioned last month about change and new beginnings, and now I’ve officially signed the contract, I’m delighted to share that I am once more working for the ChefBoutonne council. This year however, I’ve swapped a library full of books for a château full of museum treasures. It would be fair to say I feel a bit like a princess as I climb the sixty-five steps of the spiral staircase that is housed in one of the turrets, even if I don’t have a princess outfit to wear. With the stonework worn by the tread of five hundred years’ worth of feet, it is a building that is alive with history and a new chapter of its life is just beginning. Talking of alive, the overnight visit from a crow in the top tower was messy and unexpected, and I have to confess the noises of the never-silent pigeons and the squealing weather vane, are somewhat eerie.
Have you ever visited the museum at the Château de Javarzay? If so, it is probably best you forget everything about it, if indeed it was memorable enough to remember. Following over two years of renovation work, inside and out, the château reopened to the public on 18th March. Gone are the dusty glass display cases and in their place are vibrant eye-catching ways to show off the collections to their best, alongside multi-media, interactive screens and projections. These give a far better understanding of the château’s history, the life of women in nineteenth century rural France and Chef-Boutonne’s very own Jean-François Cail. If his name doesn’t mean much to you, you are not alone, many local French people have confessed the same. Jean-François Cail was a contemporary of Gustave Eiffel and an important player in the French industrial revolution. Everyone knows the name Eiffel thanks to his tower, but sadly without a tower to his name, Jean-François has largely been forgotten. Until now, where his extraordinary story, from humble beginnings to worldwide exporter of machinery, is brought to life in a modern museum housed within a Renaissance château in Chef-Boutonne. I promise to share a few secrets from the Château here this summer, and it would be lovely to see some of you in person. It is a true voyage of discovery.
This new rhythm of working and once again cyclecommuting to Chef-Boutonne, has caused a bit of a shakeup in the kitchen. Full days at work forced the seasonal switch from soups to salad lunches, as a leaking leek and potato soup in my bag was best avoided. I am also trying to be creative and plan dinners that can be prepared in advance, so are ready to serve when I get home. The slow cooker is usually my friend in situations like this but having switched to a mostly vegetarian diet since lockdown, I now need replacements for beef bourguignon, whole slowcooked chicken and pork casserole. Any suggestions would be more than welcome, it is quite extraordinary how much of an appetite I work up just having to think and speak in French all day long.
DÉCHETTERIES
Up to date information about opening hours, restrictions, etc for your local déchetterie? Visit the website www.smc79.fr for details For waste disposal outside of the Deux-Sèvres there’s an alternative website www.decheteries.fr
