TODAY'S WORD: LES ETRENNES
: New Year's gift, tip, bonus
étrenner = to wear or use for the first time; to be first in the line of fire
Listen to Jean-Marc read from FranceTVInfo.fr:
Avec les vœux du Nouvel An arrive le moment des étrennes. Vous ne savez pas à qui donner ni quel montant consacrer à cette tradition ? Ce don d'argent n'est pas obligatoire, mais c'est un signe de gratitude qui permet d'entretenir les liens avec des personnes qui vous facilitent la vie. With New Year's wishes comes the moment of New Year's gifts. Unsure of who to give to or how much to devote to this tradition? This donation of money is not compulsory, but it is a sign of gratitude that allows you to maintain ties with people who make your life easier.
A DAY IN A FRENCH LIFE by Kristi Espinasse
On Saturday Mom and I were crammed between the two folding doors of the telephone booth (now a tiny, free library brimming with books). We were checking the latest titles, including Shogun, which Mom could not read because it was in French. Helping return the book, I looked out through the window of the cabine téléphonique and spotted Postwoman Marie….
"Mom! There's Marie! Should we give her her gifts now?"
Mom suddenly confessed she had eaten Marie's present. The giant champagne bottle filled with miniature candy bars had been too much of a temptation, stored as it was for the past three weeks on Jules's kitchen comptoir.…
We began searching through our coat pockets for some cash, for this was the opportunity we had been looking for… Tis the season of les étrennes! Time to tip those people in our lives who make our days easier or brighter. (And I certainly appreciate it when Postwoman Marie opens our gate and drops a package–rather than putting a yellow ABSENTE slip in our mailbox for pickup at the post office!)
"Hurry, she's getting back on her motorcycle!" Jules and I sped toward Marie, singing Maria Maria!
Having caught up with la factrice, we showered Marie with kisses in thanks for her warmth and realness.
Marie pulled off her heavy casque de moto, revealing bright blue cropped hair.
"Oh, I love the blue!" Mom said, "even more than last week's green!"
"Merci beaucoup," Marie smiled. "Attendez!" She said. Having accepted our gifts, Marie pulled out a stack of calendars from one of the satchels on her yellow motorcycle. "Il faut choisir…."
Mom was thrilled by the unexpected gift, and she thoughtfully examined the selection of themed calendriers….
Il y avait des chevaux, des champs de fleurs….la mer….
Not wanting to keep our postwoman waiting, I nudged Mom to hurry up and select a calendar.
"Oh, I'd better take the kitties," Jules decided, and Marie nodded, from one animal lover to another.
Our factrice put her helmet back on, only for Mom to shower her with more kisses. And when our blue-haired postwoman drove away there were bright pink kiss prints, les bisous, all over her helmet, and hopefully all over her heart.
FRENCH VOCABULARY
les étrennes = New year's gift, tip
la cabine téléphonique = telephone booth
le comptoir = counter
la factrice, le facteur = postwoman, postman
la casque de moto = motorcycle helmet
attendez = wait
Il faut choisir = you need to choose
il y avait = there were
les chevaux = horses
un champ de fleurs = fields of flowers
la mer = the sea
le bisou = kiss
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OOOOOOOOH LOOOOOOVE THIS!!!! ❤️💌📬🛵💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋💋
Dear Kristin , I can see where you get your good looks from.
I love that you know your postwoman so well. It has taken a bushfire disaster here in Australia for people to turn towards each other and embrace their communities. I hope that this spirit of togetherness and mutual support just keeps growing…everywhere.
Dear Kristi, I always thought the timing of les etrennes was very wise. It gives you a little breather after Christmas and it’s more personal when you hand it to those special helpers in your life. Love the picture of your mom; thought it was you! Bonne annee a tous!
We have had our factrice for 20 odd years .A lovely lady This year we chose a butterfly Calendar
A lovely story. And your yellow shoes!! Fantastique! Give your handsome husband a bisou from me.
Catherine, I hope, for Australia’s sake that that spirit continues, but in America, when 9/11 happened, there was a sweet closeness between all peoples. It was beautiful to see. However, with time, it dissipated, and things went back to the way they were, and now it seems to be even worse. Very sad, indeed.
Kristi,
Silly question. I want to purchase your book and start reading but I don’t subscribe to any online book platforms like Kindle. Can I read this simply online in my browser once I purchase it?
Charming visual of the lipstick kisses on the helmet! We tip our mail carrier every year, and the guys that collect the garbage, too, and others. As you say, the people who make our lives easier throughout the year.
Best wishes for a healthy and happy 2020 for you Kristi, your family and your blog followers. 😉
Kristi –
I mistook the pic of your mom for you! Please take that as a compliment, as you both have great style!
Many years ago I sat next to a gentleman from Marseille on a plane ride from Paris to New York. He said he was worried about landing in New York because he did not speak English. I assured him I would help him find his way through customs and to public transportation. We talked for hours and we began a friendship that lasted for years. Every year at Christmas he would send me a calendar with paintings by an artist who painted with his foot because he had lost the use of his hands. He told me that these calendars were available in many places in France. Sauveur died several years ago. I miss that beautiful gift And I miss him too. Do you know where I can buy these calendars? Bonne année, Janine
Bonne Année a tous.
I love this post…and what a great idea to turn an unused phonebox into a library.
Janine, Thank you for sharing this lovely story. I am sorry to hear Sauveur died. There are so many sites that might lead to the calendars you mention. Here is an association to check out
https://www.apbp.fr/la-societe-dedition-francaise-apbp
Thank you, Teri. Mom and I are both happy to see your comment. 💕
Suzanne, I will be sure to give JM that kiss! Re the shoes, sadly they are no more. But they got some good wear and tear!
Thank you, Diane!
Catherine, I hope you and yours are safe, and am so sorry for what is happening. May the support keep coming, from all over the world and, as you mentioned, from within. Bon courage.
So kind of you. Thanks, Carole!
Merci, Cherie 💕💕
Our dear Kristi,
Such beautiful pictures(!)and,oh!today’s post is absolutely among your best.
You have so inspired us to follow your example of
les etrennes.We are gratefully blessed and all too human in overlooking just how much it might mean to those who could find it a godsend.
Thank you for such a wonderful reminder!!
Love
Natalia. Xo
Ever watch “Bienvenue les chi’’tis”?
Thanks Susie for your message. I am sure that at least some of the new friendships will survive and every bit of closeness is a good thing – but yes, sadly I can see that what you have described as a possibility.
I had to laugh out loud when I read that You, Jules, had eaten the factrice’s candy!! Everyone can relate to that! Thanks for a wonderful description of mother-daughter outing. What a good time you have together. Best wishes to you both.
Thanks Kristi. xx
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No, but I have heard of it.
Thank you, chère Natalia. 💕
I love the pictures of Jules. I hope your holiday was grand.
No need to reply, but I loved today’s entry too.
Happy New Year Kristin and All! ❤️️
Merci, Laurence ♥️
Dear Kristi: Merci beaucoup for your story of les etrennes. We give to our facteur, our trash disposal people & our recycle people. One would think that this spirit would be consistent throughout the year; but, it isn’t. I don’t know why we forget our humanity toward each other except for Christmas. It’s a smile, a “thank you”, a “please”. How much more does it take to be kind to one another???
I just love your Mom!
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I give cookies to the town crew (trash, recycling, leaf vacuuming, etc. etc.) at Christmastime, and occasionally other times. I give $5 to the mail carrier and sometimes packets for making hot chocolate in cold weather. We used to have a fabulous newspaper deliveryman, who would bring the paper to our front stoop, and put it between the doors in bad weather. He got a tip every collection day. Now the bills are sent online, and the current carrier tosses the paper somewhere in the yard, where I have to hunt for it.
Catherine(but you are in France, madame), many of us in the USA are helping Australia in the wake of the fires. Our church recently sent a large check to a diocese there, to be used in whatever way they thought best.