Jean-Claude settled back down again in his easy chair, and as he relaxed, I asked, “Well, Jean-Claude, until tomorrow comes (we were heading to a champagne cave) would you tell us about some of your favorite holidays or favorite foods you enjoyed growing up?”
“Favorite holidays?” Jean-Claude asked, looking at Josiane. But without any hesitation, he began. “One of my favorite holidays was Chandeleur! This was always held on the 2nd of February, and it is the celebration of …. What would you call it in English, Josiane? I don’t know exactly why, but this holiday to us children, always meant the celebration of crêpes.”
“Crêpes?” I echoed. “Did you say crêpes?”
Josiane laughed. “I think in English it is called ‘Candlemas’ and represents the first time the Christ Child was brought into the Temple. In the Catholic Church, it is a celebration with the blessing of candles representing the ‘Light of the World’. But” she turned and smiled at Jean-Claude, “I, too, remember this holiday… mostly, because we loved a good excuse to have crêpes. We always loved it when our moms made crêpes but on Chandeleur, we knew it was extra special.”
“Okay. I’ll bite,” Winston said, “why crêpes?”
“Why crêpes?” Josiane’s eyebrows rose and disappeared beneath her feathery bangs. “I suppose it was because it was made with the simplest of ingredients…milk, eggs and flour. . . something we always had on hand! Now, Jean-Claude, help me out with this! When we were making crêpes on Chandeleur, we had to flip them into the air…. and, if we did it right, it would not drop on the floor, or stick it to the ceiling. Right?” She began to giggle.
“And” Jean-Claude said, swiveling in his seat, “the custom was that you are to hold a gold coin in your hand, while tossing the crêpe in the air. . . to bring you good fortune (money). But, when you are laughing, this is an impossible task!” he laughed.
Jean-Claude’s eyes sparkled in the firelight. “Like I said, I don’t know the religious reason for celebrating Chandeleur, but it was an excuse for the family to get together we loved crêpes!”
[Excerpt from my book, Searching for Family and Traditions at the French Table, Book One]
In celebration of this special day in Catholic countries everywhere, I give you this gift . . whether you are a follower or not. You may be simply a lover of crêpes and good family fun.
Well, I’m a tad late getting this missive to you, but I promise you I have been busy while sailing from one Caribbean Island to another. I have been researching cultural celebrations and good traditional foods in several islands such as Barbados, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, St. Lucia, Dominica, Antigua, St. Kitts-Nevis, St. Barth’s, the U.S. and B.V. Islands, and Puerto Rico in the Caribbean. Have you ever tried fried plantains, with chicken and rice, stuffed jackfish, or the amazing fruit called bread fruit? I will share with you a few photos from one of my classes my husband and I took in the home of St. Vincent & the Grenadines.
Our two-week cruise gave us plenty to love and enjoy, but the best part of our travels is always in meeting the locals. What a joyous experience! Over the course of several weeks, I’ll share with you some of those moments, including the cooking classes I was able to take. Red Apron? Not this time, but definitely we had blue and white aprons.
Images are of some of the fruits and vegetables used, including the basketball shaped bread fruit, plus chicken and rice, stuffed jackfish, cheese and bread fruit fritters, oh my!
If you want to catch me in writerly action, I’ll be speaking at two panels at the San Francisco Writers Conference on February 16, 2024.
Thank you, Darlene. You may remember some of the Chandeleur discussion in a couple of my books,
I love the spirit and excitement you describe in the Chandeleur celebration, Carole! Not to mention the feast of pleasures on your Caribbean islands travels!