Madame Leger: La Classe de Français 6 - A beginner Blog to help you learn and have fun through interactive games, video, music, and practice. Also a place to learn about French culture.
Thursday, October 30, 2014
Au bal masqué - la Compagnie Créole
Here is the song we listened to in class today. I've also pasted a link for the lyrics just below the video if you want to sing along!
Halloween...more information
Some sources say that Celts in northern France also celebrated Halloween, but this is unconfirmed. In any case, Halloween is not a traditional French holiday, yet it becomes more popular every year. How and why this is so is a combination of cultural influence and corporate marketing.
The French had been hearing about Halloween from foreign residents and tourists and in their English classes for years before the holiday ever showed its (masked) face in France. In 1982, the American Dream bar/restaurant in Paris began celebrating Halloween. At first it had to explain the holiday to each customer, but since about 1995, French customers have tended to be more and more familiar with Halloween.
The Mask Museum in Saint-Hilaire-Saint-Florent was opened by Cesar group in 1992, and the owners started working to expand Halloween in France the following year.
Philippe Cahen, president of Optos Opus, claims that he single-handedly "imported" Halloween to France in 1995, despite admitting that Halloween already existed there (nope, doesn't seem like a logical claim to me either). Cahen created Le Samain cake in 1997 and registered the word "Halloween" as a world trademark. He also challenged 25 artists to come up with works with a Halloween theme, and the results were exhibited at the Victor Hugo Clinic.
In 1996, the village of St. Germain-en-Laye held a Halloween party on 24 October in the middle of the day, to give locals an idea of what it was all about.
Meanwhile, companies like France Télécom, McDonald's, Disney, and Coca Cola began using pumpkins and other Halloween images and ideas in publicity campaigns. This simultaneously increased French people's knowledge about Halloween and made it seem like another imposition of American culture.
How is Halloween celebrated in France?
Trick-or-treating is getting to be more common. It started out store-to-store, rather than house-to-house, but the latter is picking up. However, Halloween occurs during the mid-season school break, which slows it down a bit.
Stores, malls, restaurants, offices, and homes decorate their windows; pastry and candy shops make up special desserts and candies; and many different kinds of companies use Halloween in their ads. Supermarkets sell pumpkins for jack-o'-lanterns and candy companies are now marketing candy in the traditional Halloween format: one big bag filled with lots of little packages, which may encourage trick-or-treating.
The growing demand for jack-o'-lanterns during Halloween has been a boon for pumpkin growers. There is even a pumpkin patch at a farm outside of Paris where people can pick their own.
Halloween in France is rather controversial, due to the perception of corporate and cultural influence, as well as the fact that it is not a typical French holiday and some people still don't understand what is being celebrated. Because Halloween is seen as an American celebration, some French people refuse to enjoy it, having decided to include it in their anti-American boycott. It's too early to tell whether Halloween will develop into a long-term tradition; once the novelty wears off, it may turn out to be just a fad. And yet, interestingly, the French have been celebrating the ideas at the very heart of Halloween (respect for the dead) for centuries. 31 October to 2 November, collectively referred to as Toussaint, have traditionally been spent, especially by older generations, visiting cemeteries, honoring saints, and attending religious services.
Sorcerers’ Festival in Chalindrey—The Fête des Sorcières has been held for nearly a century in Chalindrey, home to a 16th-century witch hunt and the Fort du Cognelot, known as Devil’s Point. Rather than buying into the commercial side of Halloween, this festival seeks to evoke its Celtic roots – while still scaring you witless. Alongside the dance on Saturday night, there are exhibitions and screenings of scary films. And for the younger festival-goers, there’s face-painting and the election of Miss Sorcière.
l'Halloween - questions...
What is this?
What was it used for?
Where is it found?
Where can you find these?
Why are they there?
Pour se desguiser en fantome, en sorciere, etc
L'Halloween...questions answered!
I asked a friend of mine who lives in France to answer some questions regarding Halloween. She also explains a bit about November 1st, all Saints Day.
Well, Halloween has only been in France for about 10 years. Some stores put up decorations, but not that many. You can find some costumes for kids, but there isn't the selection like back home. It depends on the school if they have a Halloween party or not. Some kid clubs do a party as well, but there's no trick or treating. For the most part the French see it only as a commercial holiday, and don't give in to it too much because they say it's not part of French culture. In this region Nice has Carnival for Mardi gras, and that is their big day for kids to dress up in costumes. Nov 1st, All Saints day, is a holiday where the French bring flowers to a family member's grave site. The cemeteries are covered with flowers. Also schools are closed for holidays for a week and a 1/2 during this time.
Well, Halloween has only been in France for about 10 years. Some stores put up decorations, but not that many. You can find some costumes for kids, but there isn't the selection like back home. It depends on the school if they have a Halloween party or not. Some kid clubs do a party as well, but there's no trick or treating. For the most part the French see it only as a commercial holiday, and don't give in to it too much because they say it's not part of French culture. In this region Nice has Carnival for Mardi gras, and that is their big day for kids to dress up in costumes. Nov 1st, All Saints day, is a holiday where the French bring flowers to a family member's grave site. The cemeteries are covered with flowers. Also schools are closed for holidays for a week and a 1/2 during this time.
C'est l'Halloween - Chantez!
Here are the lyrics in French, with English to the right of each line.
C’est l’Halloween It’s Halloween
Les sorcières sortent le soir The witches go out at night
Les fantômes aussi Ghosts, too
Le ciel est tout noir The sky is all black
Les nuages sont gris The clouds are gray
Est-ce que tu as peur des méchants esprits ?
Are you afraid of bad spirits?
Ô monsieur, oui, oui, oui, oui ! Oh, Mister, yes yes yes yes!
C’est l’Halloween, c’est l’Halloween hey
C’est l’Halloween, c’est l’Halloween
Pendant l’Halloween During Halloween
Tu peux être ce que tu veux You can be who you want
Un tigre féroce A ferocious tiger
Ou un serpent bleu Or a blue snake
Il se fait tard, rentres-tu à la maison ?
It’s getting late, are you going back home?
Ô Madame, non, non, non, non ! Oh Missus, no no no no!
Refrain
La lune, elle est pleine The moon is full
Le hibou, il crie The owl, he screams
De toutes les branches From all of the branches
Pendent des chauves-souris Hang bats
Est-ce que tu as peur de cette nuit ?
Are you afraid of this night?
Ô madame, oui, oui, oui, oui ! Oh, Missus, yes yes yes yes!
Refrain
l'Halloween en France
Click below to read about l'Halloween en France!
The French have taken up Halloween with great enthusiasm, filling shop windows with ghoulish masks and broomsticks, and turning their nightclubs into haunted houses. But it's not Halloween as Americans know it. Parisians, traditionally wary of taking inspiration from the United States, have refashioned the holiday "a la française'' -- in French style. Instead of dressing up as movie characters or real-life celebrities, people in France stick to the basics, like witches and goblins.
l'Halloween
l'Halloween en France (2)
Leave me a comment as to what you found interesting, weird or whatever!
Disney Channel en France (l'Halloween)
See what kind of Halloween words you can identify. Many are cognates.
Monday, October 27, 2014
Monday, October 20, 2014
Dictée Listening Practice
I have recorded a practice dictée of the vocabulary words for Wednesday, 10/22. During the recording, I have repeated each question/phrase several times slowly so that you have a chance to write it down and really check your work. Once you are done writing both the French and English, go to page 1 of your packet and check your answers to see where you need more study.
Bonne chance!
Madame
Bonne chance!
Madame
Sunday, October 19, 2014
Friday, October 10, 2014
Saturday, October 4, 2014
Thursday, October 2, 2014
les chats :)
Bonjour!
One of my students found this cute video online and I thought I would share it with you.
If you listen carefully and read along with the subtitles, you might learn some new French expressions.
One of my students found this cute video online and I thought I would share it with you.
If you listen carefully and read along with the subtitles, you might learn some new French expressions.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)