On Christmas Eve 2022, I made my first-ever tourtière. It was my own history-making moment in rediscovering the slightest bit of Franco-American culture I had grown up with and determined to learn more about. I didn’t grow up on traditional French-Canadian foods, except for the one time I tried gorton at my memérè’s house in the Summer of 2005.
So, eighteen years later (and a failed, embarrassing attempt at making gorton like Memérè’s), I decided to make the Holy Grail of traditional French-Canadian foods myself. And it wasn’t bad! I understood the hype at last, just as I had tried poutine for the first time in 2021 (and made my own allergy-free poutine last year).
For me, putting in this effort is all part of the revival process to make our culture something recognizable to the public eye and even ourselves.
Oftentimes as a kid, I wondered what Franco-American culture looked like and what customs I was missing out on.
Today, I don’t have to wonder anymore. I only have to use what is already there and see what could benefit from a moderne twist. It’s an ongoing process, but it’s worth it.
As in these past few years, I view 2023 as a continuation of Franco-American community, participation, and creativity. Since getting more involved these past three years, I’d say this year stands out as a uniquely productive time of amazing moments to remember and reflect upon.
I’m pleasantly surprised that there were more events, gatherings, and happenings than I could remember when compiling this list. So, until the new year arrives, check out the Top Franco-American Moments of 2023!
January
For the first French-Canadian-inspired event of the year, I attended IceFest 2023 hosted by New England’s Tap House Grille. Not only are the founders French-Canadian, but they brought the fun of the Carnaval de Québec (Québec Winter Carnival) to New Hampshire!
Between the glossy ice sculptures, including Bonhomme and a fancy ice throne, it was a beautiful winter sight to see. The twinkle lights, heat stations, and indoor fiddle music really set the cozy and fun vibes to kick off the new year.
February
The Acadian Archives / Archives acadiennes at UMFK launched its history lecture series with 100 attendees. These lectures conducted via Zoom allow invited speakers to share their research with interested guests. To find out more about the ongoing lecture series and to register, check out the Archives site.
March
The French Library in Boston kicked off Mois de la Francophonie with an event bringing the various Francophone cultures together to share food, network with each other, and meet new people. I attended alongside Tim Beaulieu, Founder of NH PoutineFest, handing out free cheese curds and representing the Franco-American culture of New Hampshire.
A day after the French Library event, I gave my first-ever virtual Valley Talk with the Museum of Work and Culture. Titled “Valley Talks: Visualizing Franco-American Culture Through French-Canadian Folklore,” I shared my research and viewpoint on the topic of Franco-American culture and how we can incorporate folklore into recreated traditions.
To listen to my full talk and download the original slideshow, check out my Patreon or Substack for an $8/month membership that gives you access to my extra in-depth content.
Continuing the spirit of Mois de la Francophonie, I attended the Proclamation of Francophonie Month at the Concord State House in New Hampshire. At the Executive Council meeting on March 22, I joined many other members of Franco-American and other French-heritage communities, including Consul General of France Mustafa Soykurt, Consul of Canada Marc-Antoine Dumas, and Quebec Delegate Marie-Claude Francoeur for the special proclamation by Governor Sununu.
Along with Tim Beaulieu, we decided to encourage more Franco-American meetups to talk about specific projects, ideas, or initiatives to promote our culture. Called the “Franco Talent Collective,” we get together with a group to catch up and chat. We met up at La Voile in Boston, as recommended by Harvard Professor and Franco-Michigander Claire-Marie Brisson, and it was a success!
We had another Franco Talent Collective meetup later this year, so keep reading to see where we went!
For the last highlight of this busy month, I was honored to have been invited to join and speak to the UMass Lowell French Club by Professor Mercédès Baillargeon. I spoke about this blog, why and how I started it, and my Franco-American background with her students.
April
Bonne Anniversary to Le Rêve de Gagnon group on Facebook! Inspired by Franco-American journalist Ferndidand Gagnon, who dreamt of a national union between French-Canadians in Canada and the United States. The group launched three years ago to bring people together in discussion across the U.S.-Canadian border.
The annual gathering, Le Rassemblement, brought us together once again as a hybrid event hosted at the Franco-American Centre on the UMaine campus in Orono, Maine. This beloved event is held to enjoy presentations by Franco-American artists, writers, musicians, and other creatives.
May
The admins of Le Rêve de Gagnon (including yours truly) decided to host a meetup at the Ferdinand Gagnon statue in Lafayette Park in Manchester, NH. Those in attendance included myself, Luc Trepanier, the host of Les aventures d’un Québècois; Tim Beaulieu, Founder of NH PoutineFest; John Tousignant, Executive Director of the Franco-American Centre in Manchester; and Jesse Martineau, host of the French-Canadian Legacy Podcast (and the FAC’s Franco-American of the Year!).
We gathered in the pouring rain underneath a tent near the Gagnon statue and filmed a video with Luc for the episode, “Capsule no 31 Hommage à Ferdinand Gagnon 20 mai 2023.” Watch the video here!
June
Perhaps the most highly-anticipated event of the year, a few of us New England authors who contributed chapters to French All Around Us decided to hold a book panel at The Bookery in Manchester, NH. We were inspired by what our fellow authors had done in speaking about their specific region and the Francophone culture within it.
So, we gathered up whoever could make it and planned it to land on June 24th, Saint-Jean-Baptiste Day! We each spoke about our individual chapters, our hopes for the future of Francophone culture in New England, and answered questions from our amazing audience. If you missed it live, check out the replay here!
After the event, we were told by the bookstore staff that we drew the largest crowd they’ve ever had for an event! Goes to show what I’ve been saying, that Franco-American culture in our region isn’t dead; it simply needs more room to grow into the next generations.
July
I was honored to have been invited by the Consul of France in Boston for a Bastille Day garden party and celebration in Cambridge. If I have an excuse to dress up and go out, especially for a French cultural event, I’ll gladly accept! I enjoyed seeing a few familiar faces, meeting new people, and testing my developing French language skills by listening to the language being spoken all around me.
Okay, my 30th birthday deserves a spot in this year’s lineup! The long-anticipated day of finally waving goodbye to my 20s to get a fresh start in a new decade arrived, and I couldn’t have been more excited for this reason alone. I decided to visit the local LaBelle Winery, where I enjoyed a refreshing wine tasting.
August
The 45th annual Madawaska Acadian Festival took place in Madawaska, Maine, celebrating the Acadian culture and heritage on National Acadian Day (August 15th). Festivities included a poutine contest, music, crafts, and a traditional Tintamarre parade featuring the Acadian Archives of UMFK Fort Kent winning “most entertaining.”
September
In the fall, we saw the publication of a new book about transnational French-Canadian history: Déploiements canadiens-français et métis en Amérique du Nord, (18e-20e siècle / 18th-20th Century). Check it out here!
October
This year had several third anniversaries, and the Young Franco-American Summit was no different! I was honored to host this get-together of Franco-Americans, French-Canadians, Acadians, Québècois, Francophones, and any interested parties.
It was my first time serving as the organizer of YFAS, but I knew exactly where I wanted it to be this year. Often, I feel that Nashua isn’t thought of as a Franco-American city as much as Manchester. Not only does it have our deep cultural roots as descendants of the French-Canadian immigrants of the 19th and 20th centuries, but it’s also my birthplace and where my Franco-American family has resided since those early mill days.
We held this year’s YFAS event at Rivier University in Nashua, New Hampshire. Le Club Richelieu de Nashua graciously sponsored us and shared their board room in the Dion Center to host the event.
I was honored that Camden Martin accepted the role as our Keynote Speaker to close out our three fantastic presentations by Wesley Morris-Laviolette, Jessamine Irwin, and Mercédès Baillargeon. Each presenter spoke about their experiences in the French-heritage world, ranging from culture, language, and identity. To read my full wrap-up of this event, please check out my article in Le Forum.
If you’re a young adult, approximately between the ages of 18 to 39, I would love to have you join us for next year’s YFAS!
Contact me at melody@modernefrancos.com for more information about attending and/or presenting at this annual event held in October.
November
On the third anniversary of launching Moderne Francos, I announced optional paid memberships on Patreon and Substack with more content, including:
- More in-depth longform blog posts
- Podcast episodes w/ my commentary on topics
- Interviews + Journalistic pieces
- Full F-C Folklore slideshow & audio presentation
- Book Reviews – Filles du Roi historical fiction
I have some free content available to view on those platforms, but everything else I upload will require a paid membership of $8/month (or $5/month on Patreon for longform blog posts only).
When you support my work, it gives me more time and opportunities to create more Franco-American content that shares our cultural stories!
December
Closing out the year on a day trip to remember, the Franco Talent Collective organized another meetup of Franco-Americans involved in various projects and events. We decided to go to Lewiston, Maine, to check out the historical Franco-American sites.
Camden Martin, a native of Lewiston, served as our tour guide, starting at Simard-Payne Memorial Park with the Androscoggin River nearby. We walked across the bridge and noticed bilingual signage in the park with different parts of Lewiston’s history in English and French.
Next up, we saw the Marcotte Furniture store, founded in 1888 by French-Canadian mill worker Francis Xavier Marcotte.
We walked to the Franco Center, a coveted community center of the Franco-Americans of Lewiston for its cultural history and significance. It’s well-loved by other French-heritage groups and Francophones alike for its French conversation meetups and various cultural and performing arts events throughout the year.
The monument outside of the Franco Center tells the history of the French-Canadian immigrants of Lewiston in English and French.
The driving portion of the tour began when we went to the Colisée, known as the “Home of the Maine Nordiques.” My sports knowledge is limited, but many Franco-Americans are big fans of the former professional hockey team that operated within the North American Hockey League from 1973-77. (Yes, of course, I had to look that up!).
It’s not a Franco-American historical tour without Catholic sites, so we went to the Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. I’ve been in grand, ornate Catholic churches a few times before (I was baptized Methodist, whoops!), but I’ve never been in one with such significance to the Franco-American community.
When we were given the okay to quietly walk around the interior as people arrived for a service, I took in the beautiful stained glass with the French names of the people in the community who had donated to build it. I noticed the Holy Water was not only in a large basin before the pews but also in a metal canister with a spout labeled “Eau bénite.”
The Franco-American Catholic influence didn’t end there, either. As the sun was beginning to set in the late afternoon, we visited St. Mary’s Health System / Hôpital Général Sainte-Marie. Throughout its lounge and café area were references to Saint Marie-Marguerite d’Youville, the first French-Canadian to be canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1990.
On our way to the Christmas Tree and Menorah lighting, we passed by 223 Lisbon Street, the location of intertwining historical sites. It’s the spot with the Votes for Women national marker for Franco-American suffragist Camille Lessard Bissonnette, as part of the National Votes for Women Trail.
It took years for Camille to be recognized as a suffragist, but she is now featured in the League of Women Voters of Maine. Camille was known under her pen name, Liane, writing columns about various issues of the time.
Most notably, she advocated for the right of women to vote in the French-language newspaper, Le Messager, once in operation at this location. Learn more about Camille’s impact here. Read the archived issues of Le Messager here.
It seemed everywhere we walked had historical Franco-American significance. Getting closer to the lighting ceremony, there was a marker for the area we were in; the Chief Justice Armand A. Dufresne Jr. Plaza.
In 2012, the plaza was named after Chief Justice Armand A. Dufresne, Jr., the first Franco-American to serve as Maine’s Chief Justice. So, it’s only fitting to have a bilingual marker in English and French in the plaza. Read both inscriptions here.
We joined the crowd to listen to Christmas carols until the lighting ceremony countdown began, with some among us counting down in French. If I had my numbers down en français, I definitely would have joined in! Check out the video on the Moderne Francos Instagram here.
All that exploring and history works up an appetite, so we made our last stop at a favorite dinner spot among the older generation of Franco-Americans in Lewiston, the Chick-a-Dee restaurant. We had a great dinner full of conversation and connection that made us hopeful for more opportunities to celebrate Franco-American culture.
What was your favorite Franco-American moment of 2023, and what are you looking forward to in 2024?
Bonne année!
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