Showing posts with label poisson d'avril. Show all posts
Showing posts with label poisson d'avril. Show all posts

Friday, 29 March 2024

Week 13 2024

 Hello!

This weekend we celebrate Easter. Pâques (Easter) is celebrated with a plethora of chocolate, including eggs, bunnies, chickens, ducks, fish and bells. 

Hmmm… fish and bells?  Well, apparently, the fish are carried over from the 1 April which often falls on or around Easter weekend and tradition dictates that mischievous children stick paper fish on the backs of unsuspecting adults – who reward them with chocolate fish!
The bells - Cloche volants – Flying Bells have a religious significance, because on Good Friday all the bells in France fly off to the Vatican in Rome taking with them the grief of those mourning Christ’s Crucifixion.  The church bells in France are then silent until Easter Sunday when they return and ring out to celebrate the Resurrection of Christ.  They also spread chocolate and decorated eggs over the gardens of France which the children collect when they hear the bells.
So, chocolate fish and bells – who knew? 
 
 
Whatever you do in the Gironde and Dordogne regions over the Easter week, fingers crossed for good weather and have a great time.
 
Best wishes,
Helen
 

Week 13

 


 





 
It's also the giant Easter fun Fair in Castillon - most notable (to me!) for the fabulous nougat stand that appears for the duration.


31 March - Easter Sunday



1 April - Lundi de Pâques - jour férié


In France, April Fool’s Day is simply known as the ‘1er avril’ but it is a day when people, mostly children, try to hook paper fish on the back of unwary victims which will then walk around with a paper fish on their backs without their knowledge. It is a day for pranks and jokes. When a prank is discovered, the prankster shouts out ‘poisson d’avril!’

I'll be making fish like these in my pottery workshop on 6th April.

Contact me if you'd like to make one too - 🕿 06 30 89 85 36

Coming up...







And finally...

On top of everything else going on, the clocks change this weekend too (I think the last time this happened at Easter weekend was 2016).  So don't forget to set your clocks forward and hour on Saturday night.  An hour less in bed in the morning, but those outside apéros can commence... 🍷



Wednesday, 30 March 2022

Week 13 2022

 Hello!

This weekend is JEMA - Journées Européennes des Métiers d'Art and you can find out more about it here.

Artists and artisans throughout Europe, open their workshops to the public and invite them to discover the world of creation.  We are opening the doors of the Maison des Artisans in Sauveterre to the public on Saturday and Sunday, from 10h - 19h.  

If you'd like to find out more about the world of weaving and spinning, calabash lamp making or put your hands in the clay and have a go on the wheel, then we look forward to welcoming you into our studios.

Sauveterre-de-Guyenne

Whatever you do this week in the Gironde and Dordogne regions, keep well and safe and have a lovely week.

Best wishes,
Helen

Week 13




30 March

 
 

1 April


 



2 April






3 April










Coming up...






And finally...

In France, April Fool’s Day is simply known as the ‘1er avril’ but it is a day when people, mostly children, try to hook paper fish on the back of unwary victims which will then walk around with a paper fish on their backs without their knowledge. It is a day for pranks and jokes. When a prank is discovered, the prankster shouts out ‘poisson d’avril!’

Previously we have made ceramic fish in the studio.

 

This year, as part of the JEMA days we have the children from the local Maternale school coming to the Maison des Artisans and they will be making clay goldfish using red clay.  I'll keep you posted how they all turn out... by the end of Friday I should have a shoal of around 80 swimming through the studio! 🐠🐠🐠🐠🐠



Wednesday, 1 April 2020

Week 14 2020

Hello!

In France, April Fool’s Day is simply known as the ‘1er avril’ but it is a day when people, mostly children, try to hook paper fish on the back of unwary victims which will then walk around with a paper fish on their backs without their knowledge. It is a day for pranks and jokes. When a prank is discovered, the prankster shouts out ‘poisson d’avril!’

There won't be much of that happening this year.  We made ceramic fish at my pottery workshop in March, in anticipation of the day.  Here they are, swimming around at my home as I can't deliver them to their creators.  They make a pretty shoal.


Stay safe, stay at home, stay busy in the garden if you can, stay in touch with friends and family, even if it's just a little message.

Best wishes,
Helen
notjustfortheolidays@orange.fr

And finally...

A tiny posy of spring flowers in a minute vase