A woman was killed Wednesday afternoon as a driver pulled out of a driveway in Lachine.
Earlier in the day a man was badly injured in a car crash in Rivière‑des‑Prairies. Police suspect the vehicle at fault, abandoned at the accident site, was stolen.
Open and closed for Christmas and Boxing Day.
Le Devoir has suggestions of things to do on Christmas day.
CBC looks into the history of the Star Fairy – la Fée des étoiles – as a figure in Quebec Christmas festivities. Maybe it’s because I’m an anglo, or because I don’t have kids, but I’d never heard of her. Anyone else?
I also hadn’t heard of the Star Fairy until CBC reported on it this year.
“Des fois ça m’tente d’aller la voir pis d’lui parler: fée des étoiles j’peux-tu avoir un autre hockey? J’ai perdu l’mien, beau sans-dessein, j’l’ai échangé pour des photos où on voit rien, d’une fille de dos qui se cache les fesses avec les mains” 23 décembre, Beau Dommage. Written/performed back almost 50 years ago. So yeah, she’s been around a while, and part of every Santa Claus parade in Québec since time immemorial…
I was wondering if I’m just too Anglo also…
She is also part of the Montreal Santa parade. This year the role went to an Olympian, last year to Farah Alibay.
I may have been brought to that parade when I was very small, but I don’t remember it. The only parade my family cared about was St Patrick’s.
To be fair, I don’t think anyone in the history of humanity has ever called her “the Star Fairy”. I was pretty confused when I saw the article. Then I read that they were actually taking about La Fée des Étoiles and it all made sense. I went to French grade school, though. She’s not really a thing in the Anglophone community.
I was aware of this character at parades and being Santa-adjacent, but unaware of any mythology regarding her. I just figured someone didn’t have an elf costume and so grabbed a dress and a tiara and proclaimed themselves as someone who had walked off the set of the Nutcracker.
I had not knowledge of the Fée des étoiles before reading this article (I am not native to Quebec). Conversely, I spoke of this to a Quebec native who was surprised that the Fée des étoiles is not a thing outside of Quebec.
Thank you for the sociological research, thomas!
I don’t know if this is another francophone Quebec tradition, but it was only this Christmas season that I learned that the tune (and some of the words) of the Battle Hymn of the Republic (Glory Glory Hallelujah) are used in a French-language Christmas song.
https://www.gospelquebec.com/la-plus-belle-nuit-du-monde.html
I guess it sounded unusual to me, as I’ve never thought of that tune being associated with Christmas.
Ah, I see now in the Battle Hymn’s Wikipedia page, it says “The melody is used in French Canadian Christmas carol called “Glory, Alleluia”, covered by Celine Dion and others.”
The cross on Mount Royal was lit up for the first time one hundred years ago. But the technology has changed meantime.
You mean the secular lower case T 😀
Ian 12:13 on 2024-12-27 Permalink
That they “suspect” this gives credence to yasymbologist’s suggestion that cops aren’t trying to hard.
Kate 15:54 on 2024-12-27 Permalink
If anything it sounds like a journalist was not able to get a clear statement from the cops.
Ian 20:55 on 2024-12-27 Permalink
Well, I know which of the two groups are underfunded between cops and reporters, so I’ll happily give the reporters the benefit of the doubt.