Fête des Mères (French Mother's Day)

Many things between the French and American cultures are quite different, while many other things are quite similar.  One similarity example is the two celebrations of Mother's Day and Father's Day.

Father's Day is easy.  Both are on the third Sunday of June.  Always.

Mother's Day is a bit trickier.  The American one is always on the second Sunday of May.  I've never been aware of it changing.  But the French one can be variable.  Officially, it's the last Sunday of May.  Normally just a simple two week delay from the US.  But then, both fall in the month of May, and May can be quite chaotic on the French calendar.

Starting with the very first day.  May Day.  French (European) Labor Day.  It does not mean the last, first, or any other placement barbecue of the season.  It is a celebration of labor, and it can be the single day of the year some tourist attractions are shut down.

Then there is May 8, exactly a week later.  If these fall on a Tuesday or Thursday, the French are quite likely to take a pont, meaning bridge, not working the Monday or Friday to have a four-day weekend, if they can swing it.

Later in the month, depending on when Easter was, you have Ascension, which is 40 days after Easter and almost always falls in May, while Easter itself can be in March or April.  Ascension is always on Thursday, as that's always the fortieth day after a Sunday.  Another possibility to take a pont.  As you can imagine, May can be quite a chaotic month for business, but I always thought it was a fabulous arrangement.  Imagine having a long Thanksgiving weekend three times during November.

Finally, there is Pentecost, which is 50 days after Easter.  It has the possibility of being at the tail end of May or even the beginning of June.  And that's where conflicts with Mother's Day can arrive.  If Pentecost is the last Sunday in May, Mother's Day will be the first Sunday in June.  That can keep you on your toes as to when anything is if you don't consult a calendar.

This year Mother's Day is where it belongs.  But I think Ascension is really late, actually falling after Mother's Day.  For something usually in the middle of the month to follow something always at the end of the month may be rather rare, I haven't researched it.

Unless customs have changed since I left the US, American Mother's Day is a great boon for restaurants, with all kinds of special menus being available, creating an easy way for families to treat Mom.  Such is not the case in France. It's a definite family day, where Mom is treated by getting to make a big dinner for all the offspring who come over with their own families to honor the matriarch.  While that may not seem fair, I think French moms have traditionally preferred to be surrounded by the family they created than being out and about with strangers.  That attitude may be changing in today's scattered world, but that's how it was when I first arrived over here.

A mom on her day

So how did this displaced mom fête the day?  I wore a pretty dress I recently made to church, made a nice dinner out of leftovers so didn't take a lot of effort, and caught up on some personal email with my sister.  And the children?  What children?  Oh, the ones in the US who get confused because Mom isn't in the country celebrating the American date, and they aren't in the country celebrating the French date and thus never remember when it is?  I have no clue what they were up to.  Hopefully enjoying the world I helped prepare them for!

And the Dad?  He worked on making my blog nicer for me.  Is that love and sweetness or what?



Such is the life of an expat.