One of them was an invitation from a neighbouring village to some kind of fete on December the 8th, last. 
The other was of such little importance that I have forgotten it already. 
Génial!
We get a biannual newsletter, June and December, setting out all the doings of the village, council meetings, plans ect. The December one has the invite, generally for the 2nd Saturday of January, on the back cover. For some reason we didn’t get it last year and missed it!
We get an annual one with lots of info and the details of all council meetings, but of the past year. Not sure I ever saw anything about the ceremonies which are the subject of this thread though.
Ours is on 25 Jan and we always look forward to the 15-minute technical circus at the beginning as they try to get the sound system working. I think it’s handled by the same chap who struggles to play la Marseillaise on his boom box during the Armistice Day ceremony.
4 Likes
Until he died some years ago at our memorial there was a bloke with his old DS playing a tape in the car at full volume.
He is no longer with us so it is strictly a capella these days. Most, like me, only intone the bloodthirsty chorus. I love to sing it and not least because it pisses off those some years ago who said the words should be changed. 
1 Like
Well I found a large envelope in my mailbox last night after trying to get to answer the gatebell but was too late. There was a new year’s card, a nice bag sized diary and a big embossed invitation the cerémonie de voeux at the end of the month. That lost must have cost a lot of money for a small town of around 7000 folks.
You might well find the Diary has been provided by some local/regional association sort of thingy… and this is their way of getting one into every household.
In my post box yesterday was a little invitation to the ceremonie des voeux to be held on the 26th of this month and request me to confirm my attendance by the 19th. Which I will do today after hearing back from Eddie if he has received one and if not wants to be included on mine.
This will be at the Salle at 11am on a Sunday.
Yes, full of local business adverts plus an upto date street map showing my lotissement and the names of the streets I don’t know. Still, a nice thought but probably paid for by the advertisers. Not sure I will go though, all those people and I know no one at all unlike my old commune of under 900 and everyone knew you and your business which was actually nice - I miss most of those folks.
We used to go but since being diagnosed with my cancer it is too dangerous for me. The Salle is full and with winter bugs around we shall be giving it a miss.
There is always a letter from the Mayor in our Bulletin ahnd lots of info too.
Just had a message from the DIL as its my turn to collect the little one from crêche today and they have varicelle confirmed there. Been asked to wash both our hands on entry to the house and change the little one’s clothes immediately too. All these bugs puts me off going to any large gathering these days and now with China ill again too!
I will call in at the Mairie in the morning on our way to Perigeuex to give my name in as an attender.
I chatted to one of the maire adjoints a couple of days ago and it looks like ours is later than usual, on the 30th.
Still within the timeframe for Happy New Year wishes
Had a gentle conversation with the Cashier and another Customer, when I merrily said Bonne Annee… then asked 'em if I was too late.
Nope, they both agreed that I was well within the “best before” date 
1 Like
Our nearby town had its Ceremonie on Friday evening. For the record, less than a third of the adult inhabitants attended. Presumably only for the benefit of those unable to attend, the Maire kindly released 15 action photos of himself speaking, meeting and greeting his fans on the Maire’s FB page. We discovered we were busy that evening.
In the end we didn’t go - too many bugs around, especially norovirus.
Flu and varicelle down here currently. Seen a lot more folks wearing masks again the supermarket last week too! I won’t be attending my ceremonie, one out of several thousand inhabitants won’t be noticed and it will all be in the local press and on the FB page afterwards.
Ours was last night, consequently I have awoken this morning with rather a headache, which naturally I put down to the amount of sulphites in the rather… unique tasting wine, not the amount consumed 
They were still going strong when I left after the fireworks at 10 (kindly donated by the company who own the solar farm at the far edge of the village) so I bet there will be a few sorer heads than mine when they wake. I was surprised how many people were there given the bugs going around, but then the oldies meal seemed jam packed too before Christmas which also surprised me.
I always find it a very odd juxtaposition; the bin men are upping their price, the salle got a new boiler, this policeman wants to tell you why you should lock your front door… ok, that’s done, so now we’ll all get absolutely hammered on very cheap booze.
1 Like
Well at least the local burglars won’t know whether they are coming or going. Seriously though, we had leaflets in the box from the local gendarmerie last year about opening doors at night, keeping everything locked/chained outside which is automatic here giving there are “groups” who will rob you blind given half the chance. I feel a bit safer than previously as the gendarmerie is one side of the lotissement and the police municipal on the other so would not take long to be summoned and they do regular drive by especially in summer time when folks are away.