Friday, February 2, was Candlemas (the pancake festival). The CILFA students made galettes (savory pancakes) and sweet pancakes with their teacher.

After enjoying an aperitif (with cider and local fruit juice) while learning about the French tradition of Candlemas, the students practiced French as a foreign language by reading recipes and learning the names of kitchen utensils and cooking techniques.

The students then rolled up their sleeves and got to work, and the crêpes turned out delicious. For the galettes, there were various types of grated local cheese, Savoie charcuterie, trout, and mushrooms. For the crêpes, there were Savoie jams and chestnut cream.

The students talked about pancakes in their countries. They often come in different shapes and have different names: for example, Valerii told us about blinis in Russia, Katy about pikelets in Scotland, and Arish about dosas in India.

In Annecy, there are several crêperies, such as La Bolée: http://www.la-bolee.fr/ but if you’re staying with a host family, there’s a good chance they’ll make crêpes for you!

Are you familiar with the tradition of Candlemas?

It is always celebrated on February 2, 40 days after Christmas. Its name comes from the word “chandelle” (a large candle). In the fifth century, there were religious processions by candlelight.

It was also said that if you didn’t make crêpes on Candlemas Day, the wheat harvest would be poor. Farmers would flip the first crêpe with their right hand while holding a gold coin in their left hand. This coin was then placed inside the crêpe and set on top of a cupboard, where it remained for a year. After a year, the remains of the pancake and the gold coin were retrieved and given to the first poor person they encountered. If this tradition was followed, the family was guaranteed to have money all year long!

At CILFA, we celebrate Candlemas every year, so come join us for a treat!

Other activities throughout the year: https://www.tezdev.cilfa.fr/activites-pedagogiques/

A look back in pictures at the Candlemas this year :