The New Year of 2011 has begun relatively peacefully here in France. At these moments of national celebrations and huge gatherings of people there are potentially huge risks. These can range from people being drunk on the streets and creating a disturbance to more serious offences such as theft, violence, burning of cars, and riots to even terrorist attacks.
The authorities took no chances. There were 53,820 police, gendarmes and the military mobilized for the Réveillon de la Saint-Sylvestre (or New Year’s Eve) with 8,060 in Paris alone. This was a significant increase from the normal 45,000. In addition, there were 2,200 pompiers (firefighters) on hand in case there was a need to extinguish fires.
According to the Ministry of the Interior it was a night without major incident. There was a slight increase in the number of incidents to 501 during the night compared to 405 in 2010. And Europe 1 reported that 117 cars had been set alight in the four departments that comprise the Paris area.
The Minister of the Interior Brice Hortefeux kept a very close eye on the situation by spending the early part of Friday evening on the Champs-Elysées before going to the Préfecture de Police to monitor the screens in the operational room. He also went to Lyon and Nantes stating that security was a national issue and had to be maintained throughout France.
People celebrated in different ways. They gathered in the evening with family or friends for a feast that included special dishes like foie gras and oysters with drinks like bottles of champagne. There were also parties held in pubs and clubs plus gatherings in popular national locations such as the Champs-Elysées and Champs de Mars under Tour Eiffel. At midnight everyone traditionally says Bonne Année and proceeds to hug and kiss those nearby!!
Saint-Sylvestre is also the time when the President of the French Republic broadcasts his presidential wishes from the Elysée Palace (see YouTube in French for 2011) on the major TV channels at 8pm in the evening.
On the Jour de l’An friends and family exchanged New Year’s resolutions, kisses and wishes. A new record was set this year with 370 million text messages exchanged during the night. Usually people say Bonne Année, Bonne Santé, Bon Amour, Bon Argent. During the month of January people will continue to exchange best wishes. Kissing on the cheeks will be very popular during the month when seeing a family member, friend, colleague or acquaintance. People will also be sending cards, presents, and e-cards.
The Galette des Rois - a cake which is made of a flat and flaky puff pastry - celebrates the Epiphany (The Twelfth Night) and the visit of the Wise Men. It is traditionally sold and consumed in the days after this date. The cake can contain a feve or small china character. Whoever finds it becomes the king or queen and gets to wear a gold paper crown, then chooses a partner.
The Galette des Rois can also be consumed during the month of January at family events, office gatherings and official occasions served suitably with a glass of champagne.
So, the New Year here in France can be a month long celebration and everyone full of hopeful joy!!
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