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| All Saints Day is a busy time for florists in France |
Today is All Saints Day and is a
public holiday here in France. This doesn't mean a roaring trade for the
supermarkets, garden centres and DIY stores as it would in the UK as in our
little corner of France bank holidays still mean closures. In the last few years
we have noticed that more shops are opening on bank holiday mornings, but it
warrants big notices everywhere as it is still considered the exception rather
than the rule. Our village boulangerie was particularly fragrant this morning
as a long weekend with family calls for extra patisseries.
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| Chrysanthemums in the cemetery |
The garden centres, flower shops
and market flower stalls have been busy in the run up to today as the French
celebrate the lives of loved ones they have lost by leaving beautiful floral
tributes at their graves. November 2nd is the actual date to commemorate those
who have died, November 1st being reserved for Saints only. However as it is a
bank holiday today it makes the visit to the family plot at the village
cemetery much easier. In some places candles are still lit and left to glow
after dark, but more recently the chrysanthemum has become the popular tribute.
Even our relatively small commune cemetery has been bedecked with the beautiful
autumnal colours of the huge potted chrysanthemums. There will be a steady flow
of cars all weekend, family members arriving to tend the grave and then
enjoying a meal together often in the home they or their parents grew up in. It
is a very important tradition that seems to be held by the younger generation
as well as the older ones.
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| A war hero's grave stone |
Although the chrysanthemum isn’t
my favourite of blooms I have to admit to loving the many colourful displays to
be seen in France at this time of year. The thing we and many expats have done,
but only once, is to buy the chrysanthemums either for some autumnal decoration
outside the house or worse as a gift for a French friend. The French really
only think of the chrysanthemum as a Toussaint grave decoration and will look
at you rather oddly if you dare to use it another way. It is just one of those
many things you learn on your expat journey in France.
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| Our village cemetery |
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