A ''réveillon'' () is a long dinner held in the evening preceding
Christmas Day and
New Year's Eve
In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve, also known as Old Year's Day or Saint Sylvester's Day in many countries, is the evening or the entire day of the last day of the year, on 31 December. The last day of the year is commonly referred to ...
. Its name descends from the word ''réveil'' (meaning "waking"), because participation involves staying awake until morning, as the meal finishes.
The practice is observed in
Belgium,
France,
Brazil, in the Canadian provinces of
Quebec,
Manitoba,
Ontario,
Alberta and
New Brunswick, the city of
New Orleans, and some other
French-speaking
French ( or ) is a Romance language of the Indo-European family. It descended from the Vulgar Latin of the Roman Empire, as did all Romance languages. French evolved from Gallo-Romance, the Latin spoken in Gaul, and more specifically in Nor ...
places. In Portuguese-speaking countries, it is also a designation for the party preceding
New Year's Day
New Year's Day is a festival observed in most of the world on 1 January, the first day of the year in the modern Gregorian calendar. 1 January is also New Year's Day on the Julian calendar, but this is not the same day as the Gregorian one. Wh ...
. In the
United States, the ''réveillon'' tradition is still observed in
New Orleans due to the city's strong French-Creole heritage, with a number of the city's restaurants offering special ''réveillon'' menus on Christmas Eve. It is also observed by many
Franco-American families throughout
New England.
The term is first documented in 18th-century France, and was used by the French as a name for the night-long party dinners held by the nobility.
Eventually the word began to be used by other courts (amongst them the Portuguese courts) and after the
French Revolution it was adopted as a definition of the New Year's Eve.
Food
The food consumed at ''réveillons'' is generally exceptional or luxurious. For example, appetizers may include
lobster
Lobsters are a family (biology), family (Nephropidae, Synonym (taxonomy), synonym Homaridae) of marine crustaceans. They have long bodies with muscular tails and live in crevices or burrows on the sea floor. Three of their five pairs of legs ...
,
oysters,
escargots
Snails are considered edible in many areas such as the Mediterranean region, Africa, or Southeast Asia, while in other cultures, snails are seen as a taboo food. In American English, edible land snails are also called escargot, taken from the Fren ...
or
foie gras, etc. One traditional dish is
turkey with
chestnut
The chestnuts are the deciduous trees and shrubs in the genus ''Castanea'', in the beech family Fagaceae. They are native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere.
The name also refers to the edible nuts they produce.
The unrelat ...
s. Réveillons in
Quebec will often include some variety of
tourtière.
Dessert may consist of a
Yule log, known as a ''bûche de Noël''. In
Provence, the tradition of the
thirteen desserts is followed: 13 desserts are served, almost invariably including ''pompe à l'huile'' (a flavoured bread),
dates, etc.
Quality wine is usually consumed at such dinners, often with
champagne or similar sparkling wines as a conclusion.
Differences
There are certain traditional differences of character between the Christmas and New Year's Day ''réveillons''.
Christmas is traditionally a Christian occasion, celebrated within the family, and this family character is retained even among non-believers.
The
New Year's Eve
In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve, also known as Old Year's Day or Saint Sylvester's Day in many countries, is the evening or the entire day of the last day of the year, on 31 December. The last day of the year is commonly referred to ...
, or ''Saint-Sylvestre'', ''réveillon'', on the other hand, is commonly a party with friends, etc. People may also go out to a
cabaret show, or watch live relays of such shows on television.
Name in others countries
* In Italy, it is called ''Cenone di Natale'' for Christmas and ''Cenone di Capodanno'' for New Year.
* In Poland, it is called ''
Wigilia
Wigilia () is the traditional Christmas Eve vigil supper in Poland, held on December 24. The term is often applied to the whole of Christmas Eve, extending further to Pasterka— midnight Mass, held in Roman Catholic churches all over Poland a ...
'' for Christmas.
*In Portugal and Brazil, it is called ''Ceia de Natal'' for Christmas, and ''Ceia de Ano Novo'' for New Year. Additionally, the word réveillon (alternatively called "virada do ano") refers nationally to the
New Year's Eve
In the Gregorian calendar, New Year's Eve, also known as Old Year's Day or Saint Sylvester's Day in many countries, is the evening or the entire day of the last day of the year, on 31 December. The last day of the year is commonly referred to ...
.
*In Lithuania, it is called "Kūčios" for Christmas.
See also
*
List of dining events
*
Wigilia
Wigilia () is the traditional Christmas Eve vigil supper in Poland, held on December 24. The term is often applied to the whole of Christmas Eve, extending further to Pasterka— midnight Mass, held in Roman Catholic churches all over Poland a ...
*
Nochebuena
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Reveillon
French cuisine
Cuisine of Quebec
Christmas meals and feasts
Winter traditions
Canadian traditions
French Canadian culture
Christmas in Canada