Yes, it is coming. Yes, everyone knows it is coming. Even for the person who has never heard of Jesus, or no conception Easter, they know Easter is around the corner. One needs only to walk into a grocery store; the displays of chocolates, baskets, and bunnies are hard to miss. In Paris one can be even more obtuse. Simply walking down any street will inevitably lead one to a patisserie or chocolatier displaying hand-crafted chocolate eggs three feet tall, mounted next to chocolate baskets holding chocolate chicks or rabbits. The detail involved is impressive, with price tags to match.
While one can find the usual suspects identifiable to the American eye, such as the bunny rabbit, the chicks, the eggs, the baskets, there are also a handful of seemingly not traditional Easter figures. A fish? A bell? Confused, I thought nothing of it. Wrong. As with most things in Europe, every item has a story and a tradition attached to it. As an American, it is a lesson I am refreshed on every day, living in a city and nation steeped in tradition and culture.
So the fish, why a chocolate fish? Rather than marking the entrance of Easter, the fish marks the first day in April, known in both the states and in France as April Fools Day. Like in Italy and other European countries, the day of pranking entails children sticking paper fish to the backs of school teachers and adults and yelling "Poisson d'Avril!" (April Fish!). If the teacher hasn't noticed a paper fish on their back, then they have truly been fooled by a person much younger than them. But it is all in fun; at the end of the day, children receive chocolate fish by their school teachers or parents. So when you see chocolate fish in the windows of chocolate shops in France, fear not! Spring has approached, and watch your back.
The bells? I had no idea, until a cultural class I am taking at the Sorbonne filled me in. If you are in France around Easter time, and especially if you are residing close to a church, listen closely. Hear anything? That's right, you don't. Legend has it that, hundred of years ago, on the day of Jesus' crucifixion, all the church bells flew from their steeples in Paris and headed to Rome (the Vatican) to mourn the death of Jesus, and there they stayed. On Sunday morning, the day of Jesus resurrection, the bells rejoice in the good news and fly back homes, ringing in the good news of Jesus' rebirth. In the midst of this joyous ringing, the chocolate eggs the bells hold in the depths of their bellies become jostled and loosened. As such, these eggs fall from the sky, landing in yards and gardens across Europe. Children collect the chocolate eggs from the yards, a reminder of the bells' return and Christ's resurrection. This also explains the absence of ringing from Thursday until Easter Sunday. Of course, on Sunday, the bells go off pretty much non stop.
When I explained the history of Easter Eggs to my French boyfriend one night over dinner, the reaction was, "what a cracked out story to tell kids". Yes, it is pretty crazy, who would believe that church bells are the keepers of chocolate eggs? If you come across pictures recounting the story, you will notice wings attached to the bells as well, as if they are birds and thus capable of producing eggs. It is rather funky, but quirky traditions and customs are the core of a culture, and they bring life and togetherness to the communities and families sharing those cultural beliefs and customs. In a country and culture where I at times still feel like an outsider, it is these traditions that bring me closer and make me feel more incorporated into a culture I am learning to call home.
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