Bonne Année!

I was happy to get to see the sweet decorations for Christmas which are still up in the village.

Made even prettier by a light dusting of snow that fell later in the day.

On Epiphany, or Three Kings day, the French eat gâteau des Rois (a type of pastry made with orange blossom water and butter, and decorated with candied fruit) with friends and family. This breaking of sweet bread together acts as a sort of blessing on those in the household, an extension of the old western christian custom of blessing churches and homes by writing the initials CMB in chalk over their doors. The letters stand for the initials of the Three Kings, or Magi, traditionally named Caspar, Melchior, and Balthasar . Yesterday, Jan 6, was Epiphany, but the cakes are available through the weekend. I bought two small ones and took them to tea with D & M this afternoon.

Large gâteau des Rois in the lower left of the bakery case

It is traditional to greet friends and acquaintances with Bonne Année! when you first see them after New Year's Day.

Bonne Année! to you and Bisous, too. New year, new decade. May 2010 bring those in your household health, happiness and enough money to go around.

x0x0

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