St Jean-Baptiste Day
The History and Flavors of Quebec
A Little History…
For someone looking from the outside, it is easy to believe that Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day is just another reason for party-ready Québécois to celebrate! But if we look a little closer, we discover many beautiful traditions hiding behind Québec's national holiday.
Many years ago, the pagans celebrated summer solstice on June 24th by lighting huge bonfires. As the years went by, Europe's Catholics gave this celebration a more religious take by creating the Saint-Jean-Baptiste. The French-speaking settlers now known as French Canadians brought the tradition with them to the “New France”. Even though this holiday was not yet official in their new home land, the French Canadians gathered on Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day until a certain Mr. Duvernay organized a big feast in 1834 to discuss the future of Québécois. It was at this moment in time that the Saint-Jean-Baptiste society was founded.
The Québec residents celebrated St-Jean with parades and bonfires until 1977. Then René Lévesque, who firmly believed that Québécois deserved a national holiday to celebrate their pride and to gather together, finally declared Saint-Jean-Baptiste as Québec's national holiday.
This Year…
It's now been four centuries of French language in America, and four centuries during which Québécois' have developed as a nation, people and culture. Now that's worth celebrating!
This June 24th, if like many of us you find yourself far away from home, get out your white and blue and participate in the various celebrations taking place across the country.
On top of being the home of warm and proud people, Québec is also renowned for its many great products and traditions. Let's take a few moments to explore some of them:
Mmmm...Maple
Aaaah… the sugar season! Even if it is a time of the year that goes by as fast as lighting, any self-respecting Québec resident will find time to enjoy a traditional sugar shack meal. The Maple is harvested at this time of year, and although there are a plethora of imitation “maple” products out there, a true Québécois knows that none will ever measure up to the genuine article!
Over the last few years, Québec has made its mark on the musical scene both nationally and internationally. The talents of our local French Canadian artists have seduced Americans as well as our French cousins, and their sound is so unique that they guarantee a little comfort when you are far away from home.
Hockey
The province of Québec is noted for the success of its talented goalies: Patrick Roy, Martin Brodeur and more recently, Roberto Luongo have all dominated the NHL.
Furthermore, the Montreal Canadians are a well-respected team known across the world, who boast a history colourful enough for a Hollywood movie. Unfortunately, the Québec Nordiques deserted us for the USA 11 years ago, which was a disappointing loss for all hockey-loving Canadians.
Comedians
Québec people are known for their fun-loving sense of humor, so what better than a comedy show for good entertainment? In fact, stand-up comedy is so popular here that we even created a festival around it!
Our big name comedians like Martin Matte, Jean-Michel Anctil and Jean-Marc Parent really know how to reach their fans at home but have proven their versatility by building successful careers overseas too. Less well known to the Québec scene are young talents such as Louis-José Houde, André Sauvé and Rachid Badouri who have a full and humorous career ahead of them!
The Beautiful Province
Even if you have always lived in Québec, you can't take the beauty of our gorgeous province for granted. There will always be a little piece of nature that remains unexplored and that is only waiting for your visit. This summer, pack up the family and discover Québec.
The Big Screen
Elvis Gratton is the ultimate classic but the Québec film industry has made tremendous progress since it was produced. Today the scripts are inspired, the acting fit for an Academy Award, and the production quality impeccable.
Unibroue
Since its beginnings in 1991, the Unibroue brewery has developed quality beers that are now known not only across Canada, but also in the USA and Europe. The Unibroue company honors its heritage by using legends such as the Chasse-Galerie or by honoring historical events to name its beers. The Unibroue beer, La Blanche de Chambly, received the prestigious honor in 1996 when it took the title “Best White in the World”.
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