Tag Archives: Christmas

Les marchés de Noël

Posted on November 14, 2013 by Patricia Gilbert

My husband and I are savers and planners. We are not given to flights of wild spontaneity. So, we still can’t believe that we’re off to Paris for Thanksgiving. Our daughter has other plans for the holiday and we had … Continue reading →

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Délurée

Posted on November 11, 2013 by Patricia Gilbert

Famed Parisian department store, Les Galéries Lafayette, has unveiled its 2013 holiday windows. Here’s a video clip summarizing the spectacle. In a race against the clock, Frédéric Lourau, the Visual Identity Director, and his team work from January to November … Continue reading →

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Quelle est cette odeur agréable

Posted on December 7, 2012 by Patricia Gilbert

Lately, I’ve been presenting some traditional French carols. Today’s Christmas carol, Quelle est cette odeur agréable (kel eh set odur a-gray-a-bluh), dates to the 17th century. It has been translated in English as Whence is that goodly fragrance flowing? I’d … Continue reading →

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Noël nouvelet

Posted on December 2, 2012 by Patricia Gilbert

I’d never before heard the Christmas Carol Noël nouvelet before I started researching this post. I don’t think I’ll soon forget its haunting melody, however.  Nouvelet doesn’t exist anymore, but it’s related to the word nouvel, the form of the … Continue reading →

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Minuit, chrétiens

Posted on November 26, 2012 by Patricia Gilbert

When I was a kid, there was always a Christmas program at church. Certain people were known for their particularly beautiful renditions of their “signature” songs. A father-in-law/daughter-in-law duet of “O Holy Night” stands out as one of the memorable … Continue reading →

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Les anges dans nos campagnes

Posted on November 25, 2012 by Patricia Gilbert

Some French carols are more famous in their English translations than in the original. One of those is “Les anges dans nos campagnes,” known in English as “Angels We Have Heard on High.” Its origins are rather obscure, but it’s … Continue reading →

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Il est né, le divin enfant

Posted on November 24, 2012 by Patricia Gilbert

I’m no big fan of 24/7 Christmas music that begins in October and pounds our senses until we want to flee from any public space. I do, however, enjoy many of the traditional Christmas carols. Now that Thanksgiving is past, … Continue reading →

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