Le Fete de Saint Nicolas, Nancy Part 1

 

I’ve visited Nancy twice before, but never for their famous celebration of Saint Nicolas. 

Yesterday I got my wish and went for the day with a group as guests of the Nancy Tourist office. The office is located at the entrance of the square and could not be more helpful, even walking me to the door, sending me in the right direction to find one of the 20 (!) marchés de Noël!

The day began drizzly and bleak, but cleared up beautifully later on.

An official guide greeted us and shared in detail the history of the Dukes of Lorraine, especially renown Duke Stanislas and the glorious 18th century architecture of the Square. 

You see this banner all over Nancy. Saint Nicolas in the mitered hat, 3 children and uh oh…the butcher. 

Three lost children were in the woods. They find a butcher’s shop. He takes them in, gives them dinner and they go to sleep. And then…he cuts them up and puts them in a barrel of salt😬 

Saint Nicolas comes along looking for the 3 children. He finds them and turns them back into living children. Miracles can happen. The butcher does not come out of this story well but I forget the rest😊 i.e.Saint Nicolas becomes the protector of all children. 

During the fete you can literally eat as much Saint Nicolas + 3 children (in chocolate or pain d’epice) all you want.

A ‘morsel’ of Saint Nicolas resides in a reliquary in one of Nancy’s churches. Time for a break from French history. 

How I lost my group: all of my group happily went off to ride the ferris wheel. No way José. I waited around at the oomp-pah band and then town hall. Then I went off to find some lunch. 

ALERT*Important Weekend lunch info that applies to all France. If you do not have a lunch reservation on the weekend, you will literally be left out in the cold. Which is better than starving. Fully booked cafes along  Place Stanislas offer warm blankets outside but no heating units. Another plus - you get to see comings and goings of passerbys with their umbrellas wrapped in your snug rug, while eating your hot food (I had truffled scallops at lé Cafe du Commerce).

After lunch, I crossed the street to the Musee des Beaux Arts. Their basement level contains the magnificent Daum Collection, 600 pieces of stunning glass which requires another post. 

We were all supposed to meetup at the house of macarons at 2:30. This place has a permanent line and rightly so.

Lost again, but what delectable regional candies and cakes to distract me. I ate all my goodies by this morning. You would have too. More tales of wonder and delights in Nancy to follow in part2. Thank you for reading Parisbreakfast. If you'd like to receive Parisbreakfast letters, maps and watercolors in your mailbox📮 look in my Etsy shop. Bonne Dimanche PBers 🎄❤️💋🐻🎄