What Happens in France on 1 November?
Toussaint, chrysanthemums and one of France’s most important traditions of remembrance
If you are new to life in France, the sudden appearance of huge displays of chrysanthemums outside supermarkets, florists and garden centres towards the end of October can be surprising. Pots in yellow, white, bronze, pink and deep red seem to appear everywhere. They are beautiful, but unlike in Britain, they are not usually being bought simply to brighten up the garden.
They are there for La Toussaint – All Saints’ Day – on 1 November, a public holiday in France and a date deeply associated with family, remembrance and visiting the graves of loved ones.
Although All Saints’ Day is traditionally a Catholic feast honouring saints, in modern France the day has also become closely connected with remembering deceased relatives. Strictly speaking, the Catholic commemoration of the dead, La Commémoration des fidèles défunts, falls on 2 November, but in practice it is 1 November, when many people are off work, that families visit cemeteries.
In the days leading up to Toussaint, cemeteries across France become noticeably busier. Families clean graves, tidy memorials and replace old plants before placing pots of chrysanthemums beside headstones and family tombs. The result can be extraordinary: even a small village cemetery can suddenly become filled with colour.
The connection between chrysanthemums and remembrance became particularly strong in France following the First World War. In 1919, people were encouraged to place flowers on the graves of fallen soldiers around the time of the anniversary of the Armistice. Chrysanthemums were plentiful at that time of year, resistant to colder weather and capable of flowering well into autumn. Gradually, they became firmly associated with cemeteries and remembrance.
That association remains so strong that newcomers to France should be aware of one small cultural difference: chrysanthemums are generally not the flowers you would choose as a cheerful gift for a French host. While attitudes vary, they remain closely linked with death, graves and Toussaint.
The day itself is generally quiet rather than sombre. Shops, businesses and public services may be closed or operate reduced hours because 1 November is a national public holiday. Families may travel to their home towns or villages, visit family graves and then spend time together over a meal. For many, it is as much a family tradition as an explicitly religious occasion.
There is something particularly striking about Toussaint in rural France. Walk past a village cemetery at almost any other time of year and it may seem quiet and understated. Return at the beginning of November and the same place can be transformed by hundreds of pots of brightly coloured flowers.
For anyone making a new life in France, understanding traditions such as Toussaint is part of understanding the country beyond its obvious attractions. It is a simple, deeply rooted custom that brings together family, memory and respect for previous generations – and explains why, every autumn, France suddenly seems to fill with chrysanthemums.
DID YOU KNOW? La Toussaint means All Saints’ Day and always falls on 1 November. It is one of France’s national public holidays. The following day, 2 November, is La Commémoration des fidèles défunts – All Souls’ Day – traditionally dedicated to remembering the dead.