Le mot de la Présidente: Thanksgiving
Monday, November 23, 2009
A Communication from the Federation of Alliances Françaises USA.
The Federation has received 5 applications for our School Development Grants, the deadline for which was November 15th. As these grants are given in partnership with the Delegation and the Cultural Services, they are an important part of your benefits as members of the Federation. The winners will be announced next month in l’AF en Bref.
As we approach the Thanksgiving Holiday, many of us will remember the great affection that journalist Art Buchwald had for France. His annual column, “Le Jour de Merci Donnant” appeared each year in the International Herald Tribune, and those of us who suffered from “mal du pays” at that moment were buoyed by his humorous account of the first Thanksgiving. While we cannot reproduce the column without permission, there is a wonderful compendium of French and “franglais” that should amuse you as you prepare your table for the annual feast:
The principal characters in the story were:
Les Pelerins, Pilgrims
Les Peaux-Rouges, Indians
Plymouth , [now a voiture americaine]
Fleur de Mai, the Mayflower
Kilometres Deboutish, Miles Standish; also known as the “vieux capitaine” or Fanfan la Tulipe
Priscilla, the loveliest maiden in Plymouth
Jean Alden, [le porte-parole de Kilometres Deboutish]
You all know the story, of course, but Art Buchwald also claims that Thanksgiving is the only day of the year that the Americans eat better than the French do! So as you prepare your dinde and all the trimmings, we wish you a very sumptuous feast and a Happy Turkey Day!
Mimi Gregory
Présidente