As far back as I can remember, I have always celebrated St-Jean Baptiste Day. In a park, on the Plains, on TV, the last 35, I haven't missed them. This summer, surrounded by my friends, my family and my children, the festivities will take place at my house.
A contagious good mood
St-Jean Baptiste Day is in my opinion one of the most exciting holidays because it kicks off summer. School is over, the holidays begin for some and the BBQ and party season is officially launched. Very often, on June 23 and 24 there is euphoria in the air. Take advantage of everyone's good mood to challenge your guests.
Between a bomb contest where fathers like to impress their children and a washer competition (the famous game of washer that you can make yourself), make a game -questionnaire on Quebec. Form teams that bring together young and old. If your children are older, you could ask them to design the quiz and lead it. To not lose the interest of your guests, do not ask more than 10 questionsand vary the topics. Here are some examples:
- Who is the latest winner of The Voice?
- When was the last Stanley Cup in Montreal?
- Name 3 Quebec directors?
- How many rivers are there in Trois-Rivières?
- Who founded the new comedy festival in Montreal? And what is this festival called?
- Who discovered Quebec?
Music at the heart of the party
To succeed in a party, you need a fiery playlist and St-Jean is no exception. In fact, I'm not telling you anything by telling you that music is an integral part of the National Day and that some of its major concerts have made an impression (hello Félix, Gilles and Robert).
Personally, on St-Jean's Eve, I consume local music and I shun Drake, Riri and even Madonna. The Quebec musical repertoire has nothing to envy to others and deserves to be celebrated, discovered and revisited throughout the year.
To please everyone, mix great classics with up-and-coming artists. Think of songs that sing well in gangs, that make you smile and move. For a varied repertoire, type Quebec classic playlist on the internet. You will see that Charlebois, Les Coloc and Koriass rub shoulders.
Pssst! If you have an uncle who likes to strum the guitar, give him his 15 minutes of fame.
And the little Quebecers?
If you don't have a swimming pool, set up a corner for the little ones. Put a table there for the meal orcoloring a fleur-de-lis flag, a blanket for quiet games or install large cardboard boxes on your fence to have them do a finger-paint mural. Ask them to draw what Quebec means to them.
Reserve a quiet place for the children to sleep while you sing by the fire in the late evening.
An excuse to gather together
Singing along, waving flags, gathering around a bonfire, sharing a meal, discussing the future of Quebec a little a lot with my uncles, being moved by the joy in the eyes of my children when they watch the fireworks… it's this collective euphoria that I want to pass on to my children. I want them to discover Quebec culture and be proud of it. They must appropriate the past to better forge their future.
Happy St-Jean mothers!
To find out about the Quebec National Day program and discover or rediscover our history, click here.
Do you have a Google Assistant at home? Have fun asking him:
“Ok Google, I remember”
You will discover hundreds of unusual facts about Quebec. Something to fascinate your children.
