Jubilant Fest Noz and La Chandeleur Celebrations
One night last month in Holt Gallery, students celebrated Fest Noz, a festival unique to the Brittany region of France, and La Chandeleur, a holiday observed throughout the country, with music, dance, food, and great exuberance!
“Chandeleur comes from the word chandelle,” explains Canadian transfer student Alexia Jeangrand, who kicked off the event with a presentation about Brittany’s traditions (and whose father is from the region). “Celebrated throughout France on February 2, Chandeleur holiday dates back to the pagan feast tradition,” she continues. “Fest Noz is a Breton festival designed to foster community and culture. It was very special to have everyone come together to dance, laugh, and build a greater sense of community through learning something new together.” Participants took breaks from twirling in the dances taught by Dance Professor Erin Lane to sample a variety of specialties, including crêpes made by students in French 105.
Behind the sheer joy of the event was the concept that gaining an understanding of the culture improves language learning and proficiency. Grammar and vocabulary are certainly essential tools, yet the goal is to gain confidence in a learned language and communicate in a meaningful way.
The festive evening was one of a series of events hosted by the Languages and Cultures Department that include the community and make languages other than English more visible on campus. In honor of National French Week in November, for example, the Dining Room served French dishes such as boeuf bourguignon, poulet marengo, and moelleux au chocolat. “We were grateful to the amazing Chef Trey McCartt for making this possible,” says Noëlle Brown (US’07, C’11), Visiting Professor of Languages and Culture. Growing up bilingual, Brown is passionate about bringing language learning to life. “The French and Spanish Christmas party was an opportunity to learn and enjoy unique traditions of the season, and the International Trivia Night in February brought people together to learn about and share international facts.”
Still to come in March, students from different parts of the French-speaking world will present aspects of their respective countries and culture to celebrate the French Consulate’s Month of Francophonie, and plans are underway for a game night. Ongoing activities include reading the weekly Bible Lesson in French, Spanish, and German, which is popular with international and domestic students alike. “Activities such as these contribute to building a community of internationally minded individuals on campus,” Brown adds.