Reveillon

Greenery for sale

This morning's market had quite a festive feel to it.  Tonight is Reveillon, the eve of the new year.  People today were stocking up on cheeses, nuts, dried fruit and goodies for tonight's fete. I found lots of vendors selling greenery, especially mistletoe.  I expected that for Christmas, but it seems to be at the forefront here for New Year's Eve celebrations.  It has been my personal experience that the French need no aids to exchanging kisses!

Mistletoe hung in a fir tree at the florist on Rue Verdun

In this morning's La Depeche, the headlines read,  Faire la fete, malgre tout....have a party in spite of everything.  And the French do exactly that!  No matter what happened in 2015, we will celebrate 2016.  The accompanying article talks about how to cultivate the art of living....

1. Continue the love of the party--eat, drink, dance, celebrate.  As the writer points out, those are the same traditions of our prehistoric ancestors.

2.  Savor the art of the table.  Eat like the French, especially at lunch, which takes time.  Learn to cook and share balanced, delicious food.  It matters. 

3.  Practice humor.  The writer quotes Umberto Eco--"humor kills fear."  And laughing promotes the production of oxytocine, the hormone of happiness.

4.  Reject intolerance.  France is multi-colored and multi-faceted.  

5.  Practice love, compassion, empathy, care.  One can follow this advice even if one believes the heavens are empty of the Divine.

6.  Be proud of France.

The local fruiter, stocked with good things

Bread for sale at the market

I think this is pretty darned good advice.  As for me, I have been blessed in 2015 and look forward to 2016 with a full heart and spirit.  I wish all of my friends and family contentment, joy, health, interesting times, and prosperity in the coming year. 

Part of this morning's offerings

More greenery for sale