French Culture

Essential Question: What are some major holidays celebrated in France and Quebec? Are they the

same in both countries?

Extra Credit Right after the French Revolution

in 1789, the French used a different calendar. Research the calendrier revolutionnaire.

What are the names of the days and the months?

Were there any other differences?2.1

Connections The Roman calendar originally consisted

of only ten months, and a year was only 304 days long. A Roman priest carefully watched the sky each night, and at the first appearance of the thin crescent moon he would call out (calare in Latin) that a new month was beginning.

From this tradition we get the word calendar.

3.1

Les Jours de la Semaine In French, five out of seven days (samedi

and dimanche being the exceptions) take their name from a Roman god or goddess: lundi, “day of the moon” (la lune); mardi, “day of Mars”; mercredi, “day of Mercury”; jeudi, “day of Jupiter”; vendredi, “day of Venus”.

But following the French Revolution, the newly formed Republic created its own calendar, renaming the days and months. The calendar was in use for about 12 years.

2.1

Comparisons Many of the months in French and English

are derived from the ancient Roman gods and goddesses or other Roman symbols and words. Janus, for example, was the Roman god of portals. He was said to be the patron of beginnings and endings, thus janvier and January are the first months of the year.

The last months of the year derive from the Roman numbers, although the order of the months changed with the adoption of the Gregorian calendar after 1582.

4.2

French months

French months

French months

French months

French months

Holidays La fête de la victoire La Saint-Sylvestre La fête de l’Armistice Le vendredi saint La fête du Travail La journée nationale des Patriotes

2.1, 3.1

Useful vocabulary Les vacances

scolaires Le printemps L’été L’automne L’hiver Pâques Noël

School vacation

Spring Summer Fall Winter Easter Christmas