Easter at the Chateau
Sunday, March 23rd, 2008Some of our Favourite French Easter Tradtions at the Chateau
France, regarded the sacred cradle of Christianity, celebrates Easter with fanfare and vigor. The entire country revels in the Eastertide festivities and shops are gaily decorated in a festive collection of white and dark chocolate rabbits, chickens, bells and fish. Children wake up on the Easter Sunday morning and look in the nests they have placed in their yards or gardens and find Easter eggs in them.
In a marked deviation from Easter festivities elsewhere, Easter celebrations in France incorporate the Easter symbols of bells and fish instead of the traditional bunny. The French Easter fish are called Poisson d'Avril which means "April Fish". The Poisson d'Avril makes his appearance on April 1st as French children delight in playing a kind of 'April Fool's' trick. They stick a paper fish onto the back of as many adults as possible.
