La Chandeleur : The celebration of Candles
Candlemas : The Feast of the Candle or Crêpes?
February 2nd is a pretty big deal in the United States. It’s Groundhog day. The day where a furry animal predicts either 6 more weeks of winter or the coming of spring solely by popping out of his hole and tempting his shadow.
February 2nd is also 40 days after Christmas and in Catholic tradition, the that Jesus is presented to the temple. Here is France, there is no exception. Today, we eat crêpes and plenty of them!
History of the Holiday
La Chandeleur is both a Catholic holiday as well as a pagan holiday. The foundation of this holiday celebrates the ending of a hard and difficult season, and the anticipation of a new and fresh season. Where the days start to become longer, therefore more daylight.
For the pagans, it’s the celebration of the fertility of the earth, the ending of a dark period (aka winter) and the start of something fresh and new (spring). They would make a pancake with the left over flour from the previous harvest, in order to make room for the wheat that will be harvested from the new crops. The Romans celebrated Lupercales (lupercal), in honor of Faunus, the god of herds and fertility, in honor of the first sowing of the grain.
For the Catholics, it is the presentation of the baby Jesus at the temple 40 days after his birth. In Catholic tradition, the priest would bless the candles of those who came to pray. The people would then bring the candles home and place them in their windows. During the 5th century, the Pope Gelasius the 1st, celebrated by giving a sort of pancake, galette, to the pilgrims as they came to light candles in honor the Virgin Mary. These galettes, also known as crêpes, are round and when cooked properly, a superb golden colour. They represent light and the sun. A symbol of the time that is yet to come. The days are getting longer and there is warmer and happier weather just around the corner.
Superstitions and Sayings around Le Chandeleur
I’m from central Ohio and it seems that we Ohioans have a saying for everything. So, it makes sense, and feels extremely comforting, that there’s a few sayings in regards to La Chandeleur.
À la Chandeleur, l’hiver se meurt ou prend vigueur.
On Candlemas Days, winter either dies or becomes stronger.
A reference to our own superstition that if the groundhog sees his show it’s 6 more weeks of winter?
Rosée à la Chandeleur, l’hiver à sa dernière heure.
If there is dew on the ground on Candlemas Day, winter is in its last hour.
There’s also the superstition that if you hold a Louis d’Or coin in your left hand while flipping a crêpes in your right hand, your family will have health, happiness and no financial worries in the coming year.
Crêpes Recipe
This recipe was given to me by my French friend, Bérénice and is my go-to recipe that never lets me down. The great thing is I always have all the ingredients on hand. This is for a sweet crêpe, savory crêpes are made with sarrasin flour.
- 1 1/2 cups flour (more if necessary)
- 3 eggs, whole
- 2 cups milk
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 pinch of salt
- 3 tbsp sugar
Mix in a bowl everything except for the milk. You’ll want to add the milk bit by bit making sure that it’s fully incorporated (aka no chunks). Once you’ve added all the milk, if it is to thin, you’re looking for almost pancake-like batter, you’ll want to add more flour. I typically add 2-3 tbsp at a time. If it is too think, add milk, 2 – 3 tbsp at a time.
Once your batter is ready, let it sit for 30 minutes to rest before making the crêpes. When the batter has rested, you’ll want to heat on high heat your pan of choice. I recommend spraying your pan with pan spray right before you put your batter in.
Using a 1/3 cup, scoop out the batter from the bowl and place in the center of your heated pan. You’ll want to turn the heat down to medium at this point. Before returning the pan to your heat source, rotate the pan so that the batter evenly spreads in the pan.
When the batter is evenly spread, place back on the heat source. You’ll want to cook the crêpe until the edges pull away from the inside of the pan. Take a spatula and run it under the edges. Give the pan a little giggle. If the crêpe fully pulls away from the pan (it moves inside the pan), it is ready to flip.
If you’re confident, you can flip the pan with your wrist, just be careful the crêpe does not end somewhere else. If you don’t want to test your culinary skills, you can easily flip the crêpe with a spatula. You’ll want to cook on this side till a nice golden brown.
You’ll repeat this until all the batter is cooked. Serve the crêpes iwth whatever toppings you prefer.
Variations in Flavors
Whether your crêpe is sweet or savory, there is an endless amount of flavor combinations, here are a few of my favorites:
- Butter and sugar.
- Jam with butter.
- Nutella and bananas.
- Cheese slices and fig jam.
- Ham and cheese.
- Ham, cheese, and egg.
- Sour Cream, arugula, sharp cheddar, proscuito.
- Capers, smoked salmon and cream cheese.
Honestly, the world is your oyster! The flexibility of a crêpe is amazing and can adapt to any flavor profile! Let your spirit guide you for flavor combinations.
How do you like your crêpes?
Below is a list of some of my favorite spots to get my crêpe fix in , whether sweet or savory.
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