Today is mardi, le 1^er mars … et c’est Mardi Gras¹Tuesday, March 1 … and it is Mardi Gras! In honor of the day, today we look at a few different types of celebrations …

Photo (C) Tim Hildreth

Mardi Gras

It’s traditional to feast on this last day before Lent, and for many the day’s eating isn’t complete without a local fried dough. Around France, each region even seems to have its own special treat for the day. “En effet, les mets de prédilection de cette journée sont les beignets, les crêpes ou les gaufres”²Effectively, the food of choice on this day is often beignets, crepes, or waffles.

If you’re in the mood for a little cooking of your own, this article includes links to recipes for Mardi Gras treats

Les Césars

It’s award season (or so they say) and a good entertainment awards show is a celebration of its own. Le 25 février⁴February 25 France celebrated the 47^e Cesars to honor the best in French film.

One of this year’s top films was the rock opera Annette (staring Marion Cotillard and Adam Driver, available on Amazon).  The film, réalisé par le cinéaste franco-américain⁵directed by the Franco-American Leos Carax who won the prize for meilleur réalisateur⁶best director, was also recognized for effets visuels, meilleur montage, meilleur son, meilleure musique originale⁷visual effects, best editing, best sound, and best original music.

In related news, the French actrice Valérie Lemercier won the Cesar for meilleure actrice⁸best actress for her work as “Aline” in the film of the same name … a sort of “vrai faux biopic de Céline Dion qu’elle a écrit et réalisé”⁹pseudo (lit. true false) biopic about Céline Dion that she wrote and directed.

Disneyland Paris at 30

In 1992 The Walt Disney Companies opened their latest global theme park in the middle of a former farming community to the east of Paris. When I was living in France after college, I had the chance to visit the recently opened park with some of my family. It was a rainy, gray 11 novembre¹⁰11th of November, but we still managed to have a great time.

Originally known as EuroDisney, the park – now known as Disneyland Paris and about to celebrate it’s 30th anniversary – wasn’t very popular when it first opened and there weren’t a lot of people. We had the run of the park almost to ourselves. In the intervening years, much like their changing opinions about le McDo, the French have come to embrace the park and it is now a popular destination.

Photos (C) Tim Hildreth

Mardi Gras

Le Prix Lumière—Or The French equivalent of the Golden Globes

• 1
  Tuesday, March 1 … and it is Mardi Gras
• 2
  Effectively, the food of choice on this day is often beignets, crepes, or waffles
• 3
  It’s (not) so obvious [lit. It (doesn’t) jump to your eyes]!
• 4
  February 25
• 5
  directed by the Franco-American
• 6
  best director
• 7
  visual effects, best editing, best sound, and best original music
• 8
  best actress
• 9
  pseudo (lit. true false) biopic about Céline Dion that she wrote and directed
• 10
  11th of November