In my family and in my first wife's family (also from Québec), the father always blessed the children on New Year's morning. We both were from the Trois-Rivières area.

After moving to the US 40 years ago, we continued the tradition and this morning (like they do every New Year's), my three daughters all called me to ask for their paternal blessing. And they also do it in their own families with their children.

I looked for references to this custom on the web and I only found one (in Manitoba) at 
http://www.metisresourcecentre.mb.ca/fastfacts/. It said:

Holiday Facts...

New Years Blessing:  Father Fourmond wrote this about paternal blessing in 1878:  These good people have a very touching custom:  as soon as they come in, they kneel down before their priest and ask him for his blessing.  Similarly, when they get up on the morning of that day, children customarily ask their father to bless them.

Is this tradition still alive in your families?
How about those of you still living in Québec?

Jacques
Columbia, MD

Up  until the time of my Grandfather's Death, this was very much a part of my familiy's New Year's Day Tradition. My father never expressed an interest in carrying on the Tradition. Two years ago, after my Father's passing, I asked my oldest brother to give us the traditional blessing. He obliged us, but felt very uncomfortable. Next year, now that my daughter is married and out on her own, I would like to start a new tradition in my family by gatering together and renewing the tradition. To this day, I still remember the sense of family and tradition that this simple gesture represented. I cannot just let it go. 

Quebec

Hello Jacques and Listers!

In my mother's family this was the case, as I recall the "Blessing" every New Year's Day when her brothers and sisters would all file in at my grandparents with whom we shared our Maine home,  or call depending on where they were at the time.  This tradition always welled up a great deal of emotion as I recall. 

Many years later now and many times over and over again, I have asked various Quebec genealogy chats and lists what the genesis of this tradition is and so far I've not gotten any explanation.  Did it originate in France or?  I know that your source was the Metis Resource Center, but did it originate with the Metis?  The padre's comment seems to imply that.

I've asked my aunts, uncles, and elderly family friends, etc., and they all cannot speak about it without getting all misty-eyed, and then they prefer not to in the end as they get all choked up.  So, I've basically given up trying to find the source but just accept it as a wonderful French-Canadian tradition.  I even have a wonderful artist's rendition of The Blessing which hangs in a prominent place in our home.

We all remember the Bible story of Jacob and Esau and their trying to obtain their father's blessing, by hook or by crook!  So, perhaps it had it's genesis there, in the Old Testatment.

Any and all information on this subject would be MOST appreciated.

New Year Blessings to one and all!

Carol Ann Grenier Turner
Santa Clara, Calif. 

Carol....

You will find reference to it in the old Jesuit writings. My understanding of it is that it came across with the French settlers. The Metis got the custom this way. I don't think it is solely French.... Because I've seen the practice amongst Latins...

And like you say.... It is in the Bible.

My wife's family still practices the custom. It is a wonder to watch over 100 people get on their knees to have my father-in-law bless them. Some of the younger grand-children think it's weird... I hope they miss it when he's gone. I know my wife missed it today because she is 2500 miles from home --- and up until I read this e-mail I thought her mood was PMS <grin>. I better give her a hug...

Have a GREAT new year....... Gary

Dear Jacques;

I find this very interesting and touching. I vaguely remember my father talking about something like this when I was very young.  However, it was not a tradition he carried on to my generation.  I would be interested to know if, seeing they were asking a priest for a blessing; was it Gods blessing upon them that they were seeking?  Or a personal blessing?  If you would be willing to share what type of words you share with your daughters, I would be interesting in learning more;  and possibly carrying on this tradition with my grandchildren.  Being my husband is not French Canadian, would it be acceptable for me to give a blessing? [God's  ?]  My father's family came from the Montreal area.

I am very interested in learning about these types of things; and I appreciate very much your sharing them with us.  I would be interested in knowing what type of response you get from this inquiry. 

Thank you and Happy New Year!

Happy to be your cousin....
Barbara {Baril} Lockwood
South Lyon, Michigan

Bonjour Jacques....

I have several references to this beautiful tradition of blessing the family on New Year's Day,  most are found in family "yearbooks", documenting traditions through several generations of a particular family, generally published for family reunions, but I also believe I have something about this in a published book about Franco-Americans in New England, I'll look these up, much of this stuff isn't copyrighted, I may be able to copy some of it for the franco-americans webiste, 

Merci, bonne heureuse annee...

Julie
Brunswick, ME

Hello Jacques,

I did it with my 2 kids yesterday....but I think the tradition is quite dead now!!!

Robert
Brossard, QC

In researching the French Island history, we found that the children and grandchildren all went to the oldest male (usually the grandfather) on New Years to receive their blessing.  This was still going on in the 1950s. However, I don't think I have heard of any of this since then.  Too bad...it was a wonderful tradition. 

Amy
Maine

Hello Jacques,

Bonne année! In my family (I come from Shawinigan Sud, near Trois-Rivières), my father always gave the paternal blessing on New Year's day morning. I used to love it. After he died, I asked my mother to give it to me. As I married a non-catholic, the custom has not been carried very religiously but I have started to revive it as I think it is a very nice religious custom. Take a look at these links:

The Magnificat Magazine of Dec. 2000, p. 270 has an article on it: "An admirable but forgotten tradition: The Paternal Blessing". Ordering info is at: http://www.magnificat.qc.ca/english/address.htm

Perhaps the following article can give you more info. (I hope you can read French):

GAUTREAU, Gérard. "La bénédiction paternelle". La Revue d'histoire de la Société historique Nicolas-Denys. 1978, vol.6, no.3, p. 27-34.

Hope this is useful. Again, happy New Year! Marcelle

Marcelle Saint-Arnaud

We don't hear much of this tradition in the Greater Montreal area but it could still be active in rural areas, especially in the eastern areas of the province. I'll try to gather information and let you know. I remember the New Year's blessings when I was a child and going to my grandfather's  home for New Year's dinner. He would give his blessings to all his children and spouses and all the grandchildren. The last time I witnessed New Year's blessing of children was when I lived in Massachusetts in the 60's.

HAPPY NEW YEAR to all.!

Claude
Laval, QC

I remember my father always asking for his father's blessing when we arrived at Grand-Papa on New Years' mornings. My own father did not, unfortunately, keep up that tradition with his children, but I know of several families who still honor the custom to this day. I also remember that our parish priest, at the beginning of the Mass,  always gave us his blessing as our Spiritual Father and that he reminded the fathers in church that day that it was a real blessing that they would be bestowing on their families and not just a secular tradition.

Bonne Annee, Bonne Sante et le Paradis a la fin de vos jours! 

Hello Jacques, 

My father really takes the New Year Day paternal blessing seriously.  Being the oldest children of the family, I customarily and annually ask my father to bless us as soon as I get up on January the first.  Il tient vraiment à cette tradition!  Je crois que c'est une bonne chose et que ce geste nous confère une protection pour l'année.

Happy New Year

Louis
Quebec

Hi Jacques .... thanks for sharing that with the list.  As I read it, it brought back memories of my own father and this tradition.  My ancestors came from Champlain, Ile Dupas, Berthier and so my father brought this tradition to Mass. where we lived.  Have not been able to ask for his blessing for many years (d. 1970), but do remember each New Year's Day.  Thanks again for sharing!

Pauline

Good evening Jacques,

   There is an excellent drawing by the late Edmond-J. Massicotte about the "Bénédiction du Jour de l"an."  It was done in 1912.  He did one drawing per year for several years.  I think it is beautiful and is suitable for framing.  I think it measures about 11 x 17.  His book of drawings about French-Canadian life in his day is now a rarity and would be very difficult to find. 

Marcel
Wilbraham, MA

> I looked for references to this custom on the web and I only found one
> at >http://www.metisresourcecentre.mb.ca/fastfacts/

Am very impressed with the fact that this is a Manitoba website!

> Is this tradition still alive in your families?

It used to be when I was a kid.  We used to go to my grandfather's where my Dad would ask for the blessing.  We would only get ours once we got back home and Dad had gotten it from his dad first.  Unfortunately, we let the tradition go about 30 years ago, I guess around when my grandfather died. My 2 older siblings were married by then and no longer lived at home, that probably had something to do with it also.

It also must have been a "canayen" tradition since my husband's parents came from France and Switzerland and he never heard of it.

Yvonne
Winnipeg, MB

Jacques, I tried to find the information on New Year's Benediction, I know I have more somewhere, volums of books....but I couldn't find exactly what I was looking for, except, The French-Canadian Heritage in New England by Gerard J. Brault...page 18-19

January 1 was one of the most important feasts of the year.  The family gathered early at the grandparents or parents homes and the eldest son asked for the blessing.  For French Canadians, it was a solemn and emotional moment.  The practice was not common among Acadians, who, incidentally, believed it was bad luck if the first visitor were a woman. (this statement is footnoted). Everyone knelt before the grandfather who gave a benediction similar to that of the priest at the end of mass.  As he made the sign of the cross over everyone, or each individual, he said, "Que Dieu vous benisse au nom du Pere et du Fils et du Sainte Espirit. Amen"...Traditionally, this blessing was immediately followed by a wish along the following lines, "Je vous souhaite une bonne et heureuse annee une bonne sante el le paradis a la fin de vos hours!" - Though always associated with this custom, the phrase alluding to paradise is now generally recognized as the classic French-Canadian new Year's wish.  After the blessing, everyone rose, kissed or shook hands, and exchanged expressions of good fortune.  In many families, boys kissed both parents on this occasion and when greeting (French Canadians usually kiss twice in succession)  In former times, Acadians rarely kissed one another in public (footnote).  The small gifts for children were sometimes given according to French custom, only on New Year's Day.  Before and after mass, January 1, is a Holy Day of Obligation for Catholics, further greetings and good wishes were exchanged with relatives and friends on the church steps. At the conclusion of his sermon the pastor expressed his wishes for his parishioners and gave his formal blessing as usual, in Latin. 

Julie
Brunswick, ME

Bonne Année à tous les Saint-Arnaud-philes.

J'ai fait un peu de recherche sur la Bénédiction paternelle du Jour de l'An.

http://www.multimania.com/yolie/ne2.htm

Autrefois, le Premier de l'An avait une place de choix parmi les Fêtes. 

De très bonne heure, le Premier de l'An, on se rendait chez les grands parents.  Le plus âgé de la famille demandait la bénédiction paternelle au patriache.  Le père étendait alors les mains au dessus de la tête de ses enfants pour leur donner sa bénédiction, signe de prospérité pour l'année.  On oubliait alors toutes les rancunes qu'on avait pu avoir et on recommençait l'année en beauté.  Ensuite, on faisait la tournée en souhaitant une bonne année à tous et bien évidemment, il était de coutume de souhaiter le paradis à la fin de tes jours.  Tout le monde devait souhaiter bonne année et embrasser toute la maisonnée... 

Les cadeaux (les étrennes) étaient offerts au Jour de l'An.  Ils étaient simples et pratiques.  On donnait du linge, des fruits, des bonbons, du sucre du pays et parfois des jouets aux plus petits.  A cette époque, on allait à la messe le matin du Jour de l'An.  En sortant de l'Église, on en profitait pour souhaiter bonne année aux connaissances sur le perron de l'église.  Ensuite, certains allaient souhaiter bonne année à leurs connaissances, ce qui pouvait durer toute la journée.  De retour à la maison, on prenait un bon repas et ensuite venait la veillée avec les histoires, les chansons à répondre et la danse, tout ça arrosé de petit blanc ou de caribou. 

À la fin de la veillée, tout le monde rentrait chez eux, pour prendre un repos bien mérité.

Voir la très belle gravure "La bénédiction du Jour de l'An" de Edmond-J. Massicotte, Nos canadiens d'autrefois, Granger, 1923,  dans http://www.multimania.com/vigno/images/massicot7.jpg
---

J'ai trouvé dans un livre de La bonne chanson une composition de M. Albert Larrieu qui s'intitule: La bénédiction. En voici le texte: 

C'est le jour de l'an, la famille entière
Au pied de la croix, s'est mise à genoux!
Le père se lève après la prière,
Voici ce qu'il dit d'un air grave et doux:

Sang de mon sang, fils de ma race, 
Aujourd'hui groupés sous mon toit 
De vos anciens suivez la trace, 
Demeurez gardiens de la Foi! 
Sachez conserver les usages 
Légués jadis par nos aïeux! 
Gardez surtout notre langage, 
Notre parler mélodieux! 

Du Canada, terre chérie
Soyez tous les fiers défenseurs!
Si l'on attaque la Patrie
Dressez-vous contre l'agresseur!
Mon front s'incline vers la terre
Mes pauvres jours sont bien finis!
Pensez à moi dans vos prières,
Allez, enfants! Je vous bénis!

http://pages.infinit.net/avenir/chansons.htm
---

Pour une vision plus scientifique et historique, voir Jean PROVENCHER, Les Quatre Saisons dans la vallée du Saint-Laurent, Montréal, Boréal, 1996, 605 p. Cet ouvrage monumental explore la vie traditionnelle de nos ancêtres dans la vallée du Saint-Laurent au XIXe siècle. On y retrouve, entre autres, des explications à propos des traditions des Fêtes : La guignolée et sa chanson, le réveillon, la messe de minuit, la bénédiction paternelle, la fête familliale et celle des Rois. 
---

Raymond Saint-Arnaud
Ile d'Orléans, QC

I cannot recall any New Year's blessing....what I do remember was a new near's feast consisting of tourtieres, ragout de pate de cochon avec des boulettes and home baked bread. This feast "rotated" annually between members of the family and was usually held on New Year's afternoon. It was not unusual to have 20-30 people in attendance, eating in shifts, kids running around, everybody talking and no one listening unless memere was talking.

My wife's family practiced a Polish custom similar to the paternal blessing and the New Year's feast I described above. On Easter Sunday, they would gather at the grandmother's house for an Easter feast consisting of ham, hardboiled eggs, kielbasa, pierogi, galumki and other Polish foods followed by all kinds of deserts. However, before anyone could eat, the grandmother would bless the food by sprinkling a few drops of "new Holy Water" on the food and a drop or two on the foreheads of all in attendance.

It's a shame that many such customs are no longer practiced because of changing times.

It may not be a bad idea to solicit all members of the Baril clan to submit their family customs while they are still being practiced or can be remembered.

Votre cousin,
Paul Barry

p.c.barry@att.net wrote:

> I cannot recall any New Year's blessing....what I do 
> remember was a new near's feast consisting of
> tourtieres, ragout de pate de cochon avec des boulettes
> and home baked bread. This feast "rotated" annually
> between members of the family and was usually held on
> New Year's afternoon. It was not unusual to have 20-30
> people in attendance, eating in shifts, kids running
> around, everybody talking and no one listening unless
> memere was talking.

The food also played a big part of New year's day in our family. Lunch (diner) was at my paternal grandparents with everyone attending - children, spouses and grandchildren with several seating just like in your family. Ragout de pattes and tourtieres were "de rigeur". Dinner (souper) was at my maternal grandparents, again with all six children in attendance with lots of children. But my grandmother being from Grondines (30 miles West of Quebec City) served a Six Pates, a multi layered dish with salted pork at the bottom and then six layers of pastry, rabbit and potatoes. It was not unlike the  "Six-Pates du Lac St-Jean" as described on the website at http://antioche.lip6.fr/portier/1108.html

We then received our gifts (none were given at Christmas) which for the children consisted of an envelope containing a crisp new one dollar bill and of a gift box of Life Savers that opened like a book and contained about 10 packaged of Life Savers. This was 50 years ago and I can remember it like if it was yesterday.

What good memories. I called my sister this morning and although she remembered the dollar, she did not remember the Six Pates. We had to call my aunt (ma matante) to verify that.

Cheers,
Jacques
Columbia, MD

Bonjour Jacques et meilleurs voeux à vous tous.

Je me rappelle bien de cette tradition et elle est toujours de mise.  Mon père (Gilles) donne la bénédiction à la requête des enfants et petits enfants, habituellement lors du réveillon, de la levée ou du souper du Nouvel An.

Je me rappelle aussi que la tradition veuille que ce soit le paternel présent le plus âgé qui fasse la première bien qu'il n'y ait aucun mal à ce que tous les paternels et de toutes les générations le fassent subséquemment.  Par exemple, alors que nous habitions à l'étage supérieur au grand-père Joseph, nous recevions la bénédiction de celui-ci. Je ne suis pas certain si mon père s'abstenait ou non d'en répéter le geste (respect de la sagesse peut-être ?).

Malheureusement, nous n'avons pas été présents à Trois-Rivières aux Nouvel Ans 2000 et 2001 et je n'ai personnellement pas pensé à perpétuer cette tradition avec mes propres enfants. Ton message m'y a fait grandement songé, ce serait fort à propos et je le ferai certes en 2003.
 

André
Aylmer, QC
André est mon cousin germain (added by the editor)

Jacques,

     In my family and lots of "french canadian families" that I know, this tradition is still alive.

     In our family, we do celebrate the new year eve. We got together on new year eve and when the clock showed 00:01 in 2002, we did ask our mother to bless the whole family childrens and grand-childrens. We used to ask my dad but he did passed away 7 years ago and we wanted to keep the tradition of parents blessing the childs. 

     I'm from a St-Arnaud family (10-Michel of 9-Jean-Baptiste of 8-Albert of 7-Ferdinand of 6-Jean-Baptiste, 5-Joseph Bertrand dit St-Arnaud, .....) 7 brothers and sisters in the 40s from St-Narcisse, north of Trois-Rivieres, close to Batiscan.

Michel St-Arnaud

Thank you for sharing those memories.  What I missed the most is the tourtieres. Does anyone have a good recipies that they would share.  In this desert in Arizona it's hard to find anyone French, never mind good food.

Gene
Tempe, AZ

You were actually still close to your French traditions, if the gifts were given at New Year rather then at Christmas. 

How well I remember the food of New Year day; we had the same or similar menu. To think that we had two complete, rich and completely cholesterol-laden meals in one day! My daughters, who are now adults, tell me that those New Year celebrations were the best days of their lives.

I also remember the Easter water. The saying was that it would keep fresh and never become stale or rancid...

Gene L'Heureux wrote:

> Thank you for sharing those memories.  What I missed the most is the tourtieres.
> Does anyone have a good recipies that they would share. 

For a start, look at my Franco-American website for Juliana L'Heureux's article at  http://www.mainewriter.com/articles/Holiday-Tourtiere.htm

For more recipes, use a search engine. For example, link to google at 
http://www.google.com/search?q=tourtiere+recipe&btnG=Google+Search

Jacques
Columbia, MD

Hi: 

My dad use to give me a blessing every New Years.  I would kneel down in front of him and he
would place his hands on my head and pray that I would have a good year.  I went to him every New Years until he died and asked for his blessing.  His parents were from Canada and he said he father did that to all the children.  Don't klnow if this is what you were referring too. 

Claire 

On New Years day my dad used to have us stand in front of him and one by one he would give us a blessing and make a little cross on our foreheads. He would wish us happiness and a personal wish for the new year. Afterwards we would all have a "chit coup." My mom would pour a little manechevitz wine in these tiny rose colored glasses with small handles. We'd raise the glasses and say "Bonne Annee, Bonne sante, et le paradis a la fin de vos jours." I thought this was just a family thing, but I spoke with an older franco from Winslow area today and he said his family held the same tradition. They would visit the oldest relative and get a blessing for the new year. He had fond memories of this as well and got a little teary eyed telling me
this. Anyone else in this group did this? I am curious where this tradition started.

Sylvanne

Sent: Sunday, December 15, 2002 12:48 PM
From: Norman Beaupre

All I know is sthat the tradition started in French Canada where, in olden days, the father was the authority figure and in the Catholic mindset, authority meant coming from God. And so the father represented God's authority over his family and was deemed religiously worthy of giving
the annual blessing to his children wishing them prosperity and, of course, paradise after a long journey here on earth. It was the children who had to ask the father for the blessing. Le Jour de l'An was much more celebrated than Christmas then. Christmas had its midnight mass and the "réveillon" while New Year's day had "les étrennes"[gifts], the father's blessing and wishes all 'round for a happy New Year with lots of kissous.....and, of course, plenty of food.

Norman Beaupré
New England

Date: Sunday, December 15, 2002 1:35 PM
From: Jacques Ferland

Even though the practice of paternal blessing was patriarchal, I have found that some women were instrumental in keeping it alive, a yearly event. My mother, for example, had to insist so that my father would bless us. It was a curious moment of family psychology, as we got older, particularly the "boys into men," how to respond to kneeling in front of your father! Masculinity almost dictated that we should voice some sort of hesitation or mild protest. That's when my mother would step in, knowing that my father would have simply yielded to our male uneasiness. "Envoyez! Envoyez!" she would say, "à genoux pour la bénédiction du nouvel an." And, a little bit "de reculons", we complied, including my father who never was comfortable acting like a priest!

>From Monique Hunton, "Stories my Grand-mother Told Me: Childhood Memories"

""I’ll always remember fondly the holiday season when I was growing up in Carlington. Christmas was a religious holiday for us. Oh, some families did celebrate at a «réveillon » after Midnight Mass but the important event was New Year’s at my grandparents on Chatelain.

My grandfather, the eldest in a large French-Canadian family, faithfully kept his ancestors’ tradition on New Year’s Day – the Family Gathering. He would set up long tables in the living/dining rooms and grandmother would prepare the traditional «tourtières », « ragoût », turkey, a variety of pies, etc. On New Year’s Day, it was « Open House » at my grandparents for all relatives, not just the immediate family. Uncles, aunts, cousins, sometimes their
“visitors”, would drop in at Jos and Diana’s to wish everyone a Happy New Year. They were usually coaxed into staying a while, singing their song (everyone, as I recall, had their own particular «chanson à répondre»). There were several “sittings” though dinner – one group would sit and eat, drink and be merry and then get up to let the next group sit and eat. The women gathered to clear and serve the tables, wash, dry and put the dishes away. But before all of that could take place, there was the solemn moment when my grandfather would sing, as per the established custom, his «chanson à répondre». It is not easy to translate a song but it went something like this: “Well do you know my friends why we are gathered here today? It’s
the first of January when we have a get together. Let us repeat together, bless our father, bless our mother… “

Later in the evening, everyone would kneel to receive the paternal New Year’s blessing, another old French-Canadian tradition.

In 1961, I was expecting my first child, my parents’ first grandchild, when my grandfather died. I was brokenhearted at the thought that not only would my children not get to know my grandfather, but would also miss out on the wonderful New Year’s custom. On that point, I should not have worried. My parents have always continued to gather the family together on New Year’s Day and now, my eldest sister, accompanied by my parents, joyfully sings out, in my grandfather’s and all our ancestors’ name, the chorus « Mais savez-vous pourquoi mes amis… » and we, the children, grand and great-grandchildren, spouses and friends all respond
« Vive notre père, vive notre mère ». My father very solemnly gives us the paternal blessing and so the New Year’s Day traditions continue with the new generations. Perhaps the
younger ones don’t fully understand why we’re doing all of this but hopefully, some day they will tell their grandchildren stories about New Year’s in the good old days. We wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! ""

Jacques
New England

Did it start in Quebec - France - who knows? We did this in my family as well. I think just about everyone on French Island received their New Year Blessing.

Amy
Maine

All I know is sthat the tradition started in French Canada where, in olden days, the father was the authority figure and in the Catholic mindset, authority meant coming from God. And so the father represented God's authority over his family and was deemed religiously worthy of giving the annual blessing to his children wishing them prosperity and, of course, paradise after a long journey here on earth. It was the children who had to ask the father for the blessing. Le Jour de l'An was much more celebrated than Christmas then. Christmas had its midnight mass and the "réveillon" while New Year's day had "les étrennes"[gifts], the father's blessing and wishes all 'round for a happy New Year with lots of kissous.....and, of course, plenty of food.

Norman Beaupré
New England

Thank you, Jacques, for sharing our extended family's recollections of New Year's Day celebrations. I doubt if the custom of paternal blessings originated in Canada. Because of the French-Canadians' relative isolation from the mother country throughout the centuries, this custom has probably been more fiercely preserved in Canada than in Europe. As for my family, we always gathered around the dining table on New Year's Day for a feast following Mass. Blessings were bestowed on each one of us six children by both my father and mother. After we had grown and dispersed to various parts of the country and globe we never failed to telephone our parents either New Year's Eve - preferably just before midnight - or during New Year's Day so they could wish us the best for the coming year and we them. I think a lot of people in the U.S. must do the same for the "circuits" are always busy on New Year's Day!

I lived in Belgium for a number of years (my husband was Belgian) and there presents were given to children on the feast of St. Nicolas (sometime around the second week in Dec.). I even remember when I was working in Leopoldville in the Belgian Congo in 1959 watching St. Nick descend from the skies in a rudimentary helicopter all dressed up in a Santa Claus outfit with a pack on his pack ready to distribute presents to the eager children waiting below, white and black alike. A most incongruous sight, I can assure you, in the heat of the Congo!

Christmas Eve in Belgium is a religious holiday followed by a simple meal including immediate family only. New Year's Day is one of rejoicing, beginning with the visit to the home of the oldest living patriarch or matriarch, who solemnly wishes, as we gather around the huge festive table, each and every one of his or her offspring health and happiness for the coming year. Presents are exchanged but are of little consequence - simply tokens of affection and caring for one another.

Et Bonnee Annee a toi et a tout de monde!

Elise Dallemagne-Cookson
Cherry Valley, NY
Author of "Marie Grandin - Sent by the King"

Date: Mon, 22 Dec 2003 13:40:50 -0500
From: R. Jean Vallieres

Dear Sir;

For reasons I don’t completely understand my mind wondered back recently to the tradition of asking my father for his blessing on New Years Day. I make reference to this tradition throughout my diaries and always, over the years, on 1 January .

My father always insisted that I, as the eldest son and oldest child be the first to ask for his blessing. I and my five siblings carried out this tradition – often begrudgingly, but never without fail – until my father, Jean Baptist Vallieres, died in 1994.

Oh we bitched about making the phone calls in our later years, and we complained about his absolute insistence on our calling. But out of respect for our father we all never failed to call. On several occasions I called from Germany. I remember calling from Vietnam via short wave radio while serving as a young captain with the United States Army. I always called. He always waited. He always asked me to get down on my knees, no matter where I was, before he would offer his blessing. In the later years he would bless me, then my son and daughter in turn.

I well remember on New Years Day receiving calls from my sister in Rhode Island, my brother in England, and the others, all wanting to verify that I had made my call – or encouraging me to ‘get with it’, so they could follow in turn. At times we laughed, at times we complained. No time did we not dutifully call.

I recalled having read about this tradition in one of the books I have in my bookcases. I searched for the book. Its title is The French-Canadian Heritage in New England, written by Gerard J. Brault and published in 1986 by University Press of New England, Hanover and London and McGill-Queen’s University Press Kingston and Montreal.

Following are extracts from the book.

Page 18.-1

January 1 was one of the most important feasts of the year. The family gathered early at the grandparents’ or parents’ home, and the eldest son asked for the blessing For French Canadians, it was a solemn and emotions moment. (This practice was not common among Acadians who, in accidentally, believed it was bad luck if the first visitor were a woman.)

Everyone knelt before the grandfather who gave a benediction similar to that of the priest at the end of mass. As he made the sign of the cross over everyone, or each individual, he said: "Qu Dieu vous benisse au nom due Pere et du Fils et du Saint Esprit. Amen." [May God bless you, in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, Amen.]

Traditionally, this blessing was immediately followed by a wish along the following lines: "Je vous souhaite une bonne et heuruese annee, une bonne sante, et le paradis a la fin de vos jours!" (I wish you a prosperous and happy New Year, good health, and eternal bliss when you pass on.) Though always associates with this custom, the phrase alluding to paradise is now generally recognizes as the classic French-Canadian New Year’s wish. After the blessing, everyone rose, kissed or shook hands, and exchanged expressions of good fortune.

In many families, boys kissed both parents on this occasion and when greeting. (French Canadians usually kills twice in succession.) In former times, Acadians rarely kissed one another in public. The small gifts for children were sometimes given, according to French custom, only on New Year’s Day.

Page 153

Every New Year’s Day since 1984, my children have perpetuated a family tradition that stretches back to my early childhood and has existed on my mother’s as well as on my father’s side. In danger of being lost with the death of my father in November 1983, the custom calls for the children to ask and receive their father’s blessing.

I was never sure if my father had made this custom up or not. For most of my life I believed it was his personal tradition. How encouraged and surprised I was to discover he had not made this all up It has existed for centuries, with no trace of its origins. He always in his later years urged me to carry on this custom and not let it pass away with him. I suspect it may die with me. I carry it on every year, but in a more private way out of respect for the children’s mother who does not practice organized religion. I quietly kneel and extend my blessing to John and Sasha without their ever knowing, without their ever having to ask. I beg God to provide them with a blessing they will never know was requested, but that I am sure is given in return for my humble supplication and contrite request.

The tradition I have known is dieing away now. This saddens me considerably. How very sad Very sad indeed.

S'il vous plaît accepter mes meilleurs souhaits pour le Nouvel An et ma reconnaissance sincère pour vos postes de site web.

Sincèrement,
R. Jean Vallieres

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