Bonne Anne!! and Happy New Year!!

My wife and I invited a few people over to our house to bring in the New Year.  My wife prepared an incredible meal.  On the menu was boeuf bourguignon, a beef stew slow-cooked in a red wine sauce, accompanied with homemade Alsatian egg noodles called Speatzle.  We also had several appetizers, a nice cheese course, and of course dessert.

A few minutes prior to midnight, we all bundled-up and headed out into the street to set off fireworks, a French New Year tradition.  The air was cold and filled the sound of church bells ringing.  It seemed odd to hear the church bells going off this late at night but no one was sleeping with all of the fireworks going off in the streets.  Our Turkish neighbors were setting off Roman Candles and bottle rockets.  One of our guests was ready for this part of the evening as he gave each of us a couple packs of firecrackers so we could contribute our share of pops and booms to the celebration. 

As we walked towards the center of town, someone from inside their house started giving the countdown.  We all stopped and continued in French…sept, six, cinq, quatre, trois, duex, un…Bonne Anne!!  Kisses one each cheek for the girls, although you’re not supposed to actually kiss the cheek just make the kissy sound and touch cheeks, still an intimate gesture.  Guys also do a sort of fake kissy thing but it seems to be more of a head butt type of thing or maybe that’s my version of it as I’m not sure I will ever be comfortable with this custom. 

After the countdown, we lite up a few sparklers and wishes other revelers Bonne Anne (Happy New Year) and migrated back to the house.  I was impressed at the enthusiasm for the fireworks.  Of course, it would happen to be a male characteristic to love things that blow stuff up and make noise.  There were of course guys setting off what looked and sounded like full sticks of dynamite.  In many ways, things are much more civil here in France so this is one of the few times of the year when you can go in the streets and make as much noise as you like and it’s completely acceptable. 

We returned to the house and ate ‘surprise bread’ sandwiches (see my previous post) and played Pictionary until the wee hours of the morning.  We slept late the next day.  In closing, I hope that  the new year brings you joy, good health, and peace.