Coming from the French word terre for “soil,” the word terroir originally described the special characteristics of a region, or piece of land, which gave different varieties of wine, coffee and tea their individuality. (Soil, climate, position, regional traditions….)
Shake off the cold dark winter and welcome in spring with the bright, colourful, topsy turvy world of carnaval in the Pyrénées-Orientales
Apart from the well known Mardi Gras, the nearest French equivalent to Pancake Day is the ‘Fête de la Chandeleur’ (Candlemas) on 2nd February.
This French tradition of serving a frangipane filled tart known as the ‘galette des rois’ (or the ‘gateau des rois’ in the South of France) on, or around the 6th January, (the first Sunday of each New Year) actually dates back to the 14th century.
I’ve just got back from lunch-time Collioure on New Year’s day where the sun shone from a china-blue sky, festive holiday crowds bustled, families and their dogs promenaded….
A santon (coming from the Provençal santoun or “little saint”.) is a small figurine, usually made out of clay and used in nativity scenes.
These pooey Catalan traditions may shed some light on the popular Catalan saying
“menja bé, caga fort i no tinguis por a la mort!” (Eat well, poo strong and don’t be afraid of death!)
Starting Friday 15th December and running through until Sunday 7th January, Canet en Roussillon invites you to join them for a festive programme bursting with merriment and good cheer.
A popular and much loved Catalan Christmas figure, this small statue, originally of a pooping peasant wearing traditional floppy red Catalan cap (barretina), crouches with trousers half down, in a ‘toilet’ position, making his small contribution to the land. He might be smoking a pipe or reading a newspaper to better pass the time!
Musique et voix en pays catalans is a not-for-profit association that aims to support and promote all musical activities within the region. With regular concerts and an annual festival, there’s plenty for music lovers of all tastes and ages.