Thursday, February 2, 2012

La Chandeleur -- le jour des crêpes


For this crêpe maker, every day is le jour des crêpes.


The Catholic feast day, La Chandeleur, celebrates the Presentation of Jesus at the Temple 40 days after Christmas, on February 2nd.  It is also referred to as "Candlemas" or Candle Mass for the blessing of beeswax candles used in the church all during the year.


In France the day is celebrated with crêpes which must be eaten only after 8:00pm.  If the cook can flip a crêpe while holding a coin in the other hand, the family is guaranteed a prosperous year.  The many rituals and superstitions surrounding this date include the Groundhog Day test of whether or not the little animal sees his shadow.


We always have crêpes (if I am not traveling), and Holly goes out for her crêpes with friends.  I think that my photo is going to give you two days of feasts in one as Sunday (February 5) is World Nutella Day!  I think that I will have my crêpes with bananas, Nutella, ice cream, and a little dollop of Chantilly cream.  It is after all a feast


Will you have savory or sweet crêpes?



Rue Mouffetard
75005, Paris 

30 comments:

Randy said...

Sweet please!

Louis la Vache said...

hee hee...
And «Louis» is having dinner with friends who are preparing crêpes.

Priscilla said...

Ham, egg, Gruyère.

TheChieftess said...

Great shot Genie!!!

French Girl in Seattle said...

Salée pour moi, Genie. Une galette de sarrazin complète, jambon fromage... et pourquoi pas... oeuf! Miam-Miam! Veronique (French Girl in Seattle)

French Girl in Seattle said...

Salée pour moi, Genie. Une galette de sarrazin complète, jambon fromage... et pourquoi pas... oeuf! Miam-Miam! Veronique (French Girl in Seattle)

Louise said...

Oh that sounds so wonderful! I regret never having had a crepe in Paris- next time I'm definitely going to have a nutella crepe- enquiring minds have to know!

Joe said...

World Nutella Day. Glad you told me. I had a Nutella pizza once. It was pretty good.

TheChieftess said...

Ohhhh...World Nutella Day...I can get into that celebration!!!

winterludes said...

i think the groundhog has seen its shadow today, great (i hate springs and its insolence).
i didn't know crêpes must be eaten after 8.00 pm, i can't explain why.
bon appetit!

Malyss said...

I'll have mine with creme de marrons, please! :o)

biebkriebels said...

I love those crepes, and the smell of them.

M said...

Both ... Savory (fromage) then sweet (nutella) for dessert ... You said it was a feast!!! Great photo!

brattcat said...

sweet, sweet, oh definitely sweet...after i finish the savory.

Holly said...

Miam-miam! Savory first and then I'll split a sweet with the little boys. Nutella included of course! Looking forward to World Nutella Day on Sunday - thinking about a nutella croissant bread pudding, or maybe a flourless nutella chocolate cake or both since it's the Super Bowl and I can share with friends! MIAM! Maybe I should just go and taste the nutella with a spoon right now...to make sure it hasn't gone bad.....

this is Belgium said...

you really know your holidays ! Genie !!
February 2 .. many have forgotten the meaning.. but keep eating crêpes bien sûr !

Shell Sherree said...

World Nutella Day? How well timed! I think the odds are stacked around 80:20 that I'd have sweet crepes over savoury.

C. R. Spooner said...

Wonderful! Glad to know about World Nutella Day on Sunday...a very good reason to have a Nutella crepe:)

Janey and Co. said...

Savory please...

Céline said...

It's amazing but I have learned a lot abour La chandeleur thanks to your post! Merci Génie! And i will have a sweet one please!

Rob Siemann said...

Well, just made some, and there are some left... Sweet or savory? Depends on the moods and cravings, I suppose. Had mine with a tomato salad, Mandy had Nutella.

Loree said...

Always sweet and definitely with Nutella. I remember eating crepes with Nutella in a tiny place in Montmartre. Delish :)

Alexa said...

Jambon et fromage pour moi aussi, please. Enjoy your crepe feast, Genie!

Starman said...

I like mine with Grand Marnier.

Virginia said...

I returned home and realized that I'd not had a single crêpe the whole time in Paris. Tant pis pour moi.
V

Jack said...

I learn so much here. I don't think I knew any of this before. Crepes? Not on the menu any time soon.

Holly said...

Crepe Day was great - we had about 10 adults and 8 children of various ages at the cafe. Fromage, jambon, salmon complet, bananas & nutella, strawberries & nutella, plain nutella...we ate it all! Now sweet dreams of baking for World Nutella day.

Genie -- Paris and Beyond said...

Well, silly me! I could have had both savory and sweet! Actually, I did not have any buckwheat flour which I prefer for the savory crêpes.

But... there was an abundance of banana/nutella/Blue Bell Vanilla ice cream sweet crêpes... miam-miam! I will be off to the gym early tomorrow to make amends!

If you want the crêpe recipe, email me and I'll send it to you.

Bises,
Genie

Pierre BOYER said...

Damned !
Yesterday I eated crepes all the day...

Pierre

Cezar and Léia said...

Love crêpes!
God bless you!
Cezar