Tag: Holidays and Celebrations
Statues of Liberty in Paris, and to the Republics for Which They Stand
July 4. France Revisited celebrates the Fourth of July with a photo reportage of the major Statues of Liberty in Paris, along with the author's homegrown version.
Nazi Talk Provides Moral Clarity on Veterans Day—Not
France's national train company SNCF acknowledges with "profound pain" in Florida its wartime role in the deportation of Jews from 1942 to 1944.
August in Paris: If Julia Roberts Only Knew
There is a common misconception that Paris shuts down during the month of August, that it becomes a ghost town abandoned to tourists while...
Americana in Paris: Cupcake Camp on the Fourth of July
An introduction to cupcakes, the cupcake trend in Paris and Cupcake Camp on the 4th of July.
Arbor Day and the Award-winning Travel Writer
On becoming a double award-winning travel writer on the occasion of Arbor Day, despite the demise of the silky dogwood.
The March Equinox at Saint Sulpice Church
The March equinox, also known as the vernal or spring equinox in the Northern Hemisphere, occurred today. That’s the moment when the sun is...
Crepes, tourtisseaux, groundhogs
Today is Crepe Day in France as well as in other countries with crepe traditions, such as Belgium and Switzerland. Americans think of it as Groundhog Day. Crepes and groundhogs both mark the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox. The day’s Catholic name is la Chandeleur in France, in recognition of the candles (chandelles) that are/were brought to the church in remembrance of the day when baby Jesus was first brought to the Temple.
Lafayette and the American Flag: The Fourth of July Ceremony
In permanent recognition of his role in aiding the American cause, an American flag has flown over Lafayette’s grave ever since the end of WWI. The flag is changed every year on July 4 in a highly orchestrated ceremony attended by French and American dignitaries.
The Green Traveler: Arbor Day
Celebrating Arbor Day in New Jersey. When I get back to Paris next week I’m sure to find my plants looking dry and forlorn but alive and willing to be nursed back to health through the spring. The secret to raising plants, I’ve found, is to not get too attached to them.