The news from France hasn’t been the best lately. As of this past weekend, les gilets jaunes are still protesting in the streets of Paris – despite concessions from the French government – and of course there was the sad news out of Strasbourg of l’attaque du marché de Noël (the attack of the Christmas market). But it is also presque Noël (almost Christmas) and the time seems right for something a little lighter.

Le sapin de Noel / Christmas tree (Photo by Craig Adderley from Pexels [CC0])

The “spirit” of the season

The French word esprit can have many meanings. It can mean mind, wit, or spirit. And like the English word spirit, esprit can refer to both a mental state and to a metaphysical state. Let’s look at some examples.

Esprit as wit, state of mind, etc.

One of my all time favorite French expressions – which has also made its way into English – is l’esprit de l’escalier (the wit of the staircase). Attributed to the French philosopher and author of one of the first encyclopedias in French, Denis Diderot, the phrase refers to those times when you think of the perfect retort or witticism too late after a conversation to employ it. Didert wrote in his Paradoxe sur le comédien (Paradox of the actor):

Another esprit expression which has made its way into English is esprit de corps. Often used to refer to military groups, esprit de corps (lit. the spirit of the group) refers to a feeling of comradery and mutual respect and support shared among a group of tightly bonded individuals sharing a common goal.

Esprit as literal spirit

As we approach the Christmas season, it seems fitting to highlight esprit in the Catholic/Christian tradition of the Holy Trinity of le Père, le Fils, et le Saint-Esprit (Father, Son, and Holy Ghost).

In the famous English novel Un chant de Noël (A Christmas Carol), Ebenezer Scrooge is visited by trois esprits (three spirits) who attempt to lead him back to a more generous path in life avant qu’il ne soit trop tard (before it is too late).

* It is useful to remember that sitting rooms and other formal gathering spaces in older homes (particularly those of the well-to-do) were located upstairs such that guests would have to go down stairs to leave a gathering.
** I found this groovy little track while researching l’esprit de l’escalier. I don’t know anything about it or the artist, but it seems to capture the many dimensions of the word esprit.