As I was preparing lessons this weekend, I decided to surprise my high school students with a crepe-making day Monday. After all, Monday–February 2–is not only our North American Groundhog Day, but it’s also la Chandeleur in France. This is the day to make crepes, tossing them into the air as you hold a coin in one hand. If your crepe lands in the pan, you’ll have a year of good luck.
I have no intention of allowing my students to flip crepes at school. (I may be a fun teacher, but not that fun!) We’re simply going to follow the maxim, “Manger des crêpes à la Chandeleur apporte un an de bonheur.” (Eating crepes on la Chandeleur brings a year of happiness.) While I’m not superstitious, I know I can use all the happiness I can get. And what better way to start off the week than with a fun surprise?
Learn some French food vocabulary as you prepare some tasty crepes. Recipes abound online. Here are your basic ingredients:
farine – flour
oeufs – eggs
lait – milk
eau – water
sel - salt
beurre – butter
Try some of these delicious toppings:
sucre – sugar
citron – lemon
fraises – strawberries
chantilly – whipped cream
chocolat – chocolate
Nutella
Younger kids will enjoy coloring pictures of the crepe-flipping festivities. Check out these free online Chandeleur coloring pages:
