French Conversation 4

A Franglais Start to the Year – French Conversation 4 

Looking back to our first meeting of 2026, the French group chose to celebrate the traditional French festival of L’Épiphanie. While traditionally marked on the 6th of January with a Galette des Rois, we extended the festivities into our January session to ensure a truly convivial start to the year. I set the scene by baking a traditional galette for the occasion. I also took along some leftover Christmas crackers to add to the New Year festivities, giving our afternoon a cheerful Anglo‑French seasonal flavour. 

For those who may not be familiar with the Galette des Rois (King’s Cake), it is a puff‑pastry cake filled with almond frangipane, enjoyed in France to celebrate Epiphany and to mark the end of the Christmas season. A small charm, or fève, is hidden inside—traditionally a tiny porcelain figure or, as in our case, an almond. Whoever finds the fève becomes “king” for the day and wears a paper crown. 

On the day, we were also pleased to welcome a new member for a taster session, and we hope she will join us again. Between our French conversation and chatting about our Christmas and New Year experiences, we each enjoyed a slice of the Galette. Eileen was the lucky one to find the hidden almond and was rewarded with a chocolate Christmas pudding treat and a gold crown, Over the course of the session we pulled crackers, read the silly jokes, enjoyed a drink, shared plenty of laughter, and of course ate the cake. 

We rounded off the afternoon by completing a French crossword together. It was a perfect example of the "Franglais" spirit that defines our group, providing a warm and happy foundation for the months of learning ahead