Le Réveillon

Photography by Semnoz, August 2005, courtesy of Wikimedia Commons.New Year’s Eve!  The day known in France as Le réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre, a 4th century pope whose feast day just happens to be 31 December.  From the French verb, réveiller, meaning ‘to wake’ or ‘revive’, Le réveillon will be celebrated tonight in homes and restaurants throughout the nation with elaborate feasts of rich culinary delights, such as oysters, foie gras, and enough bubbly, of course, to keep everyone up until well after midnight.

Each region boasts some variation on the theme of the all-night party.  In southwest France, for example, it’s not unheard of for revelers to enjoy a torchlight procession, following a midnight mass, that takes them eventually into the vineyards where mulled wine awaits to keep them going into the wee hours.

Perhaps it goes without saying that after all the late-night soirées, New Year’s Day -- le jour des étrennes or day of New Year’s presents -- is a national holiday.  It is spent among friends and family who exchange gifts and cards in honor of the awakening of the coming year. 

But the fun doesn’t stop at January 1st.  No, the celebrating continues until 6 January, the day of Epiphany, which I’ll post about then…

Until then, I'm off to help the Uber-mensch prepare a seven-hour lamb.

Happy New Year!