Last week marked the 13th year in a row that students, staff and parents at Muriel Martin Elementary School celebrated RĂ©veillon, a long-standing French Canadian tradition that involves eating, dancing and singing after midnight mass on Christmas Eve.
“It comes from the French word rĂ©veiller, which means “to be awake,” said Rose-Marie Requena, the school’s French co-ordinator.
“The tradition is from French Canadians who, a long time ago used to go to church and then after church they would open their gifts and then sing and they would eat all night,” she said.
“When I was young, that’s what we used to do. Even as kids, we would go to sleep before midnight mass and then we would be up until probably four, five, six in the morning dancing and partying.”
“It’s very traditional. I don’t know if people are still doing it now. My parents, when they got older, they stopped doing it, they were too tired to celebrate at night.”
Back when it started at the school, Requena said rĂ©veiller was a small celebration and has since grown to include the school’s 280 students, as well as staff, and a large number of parents volunteer.
Just before lunchtime on Thursday, students sat down to a candle-lit meal of tourtière, a traditional French Canadian meat pie, with vegetable platters, sugar tarts and mandarin oranges, all of which had been prepared by parents.
Tables were decorated with festive Christmas boughs, which had been donated to the school by Hole’s Greenhouses & Gardens.
After lunch, students were excused for recess while parents tidied up the gym in preparation for dancing later that afternoon.
But first it was time for a visit from le Père NoĂ«l, who dropped off candy canes and presents.
Requena said reception from students has been great.
“They just love it. The first year that we did it, the kids wouldn’t eat anything because they weren’t used to those meat pies, those tourtières. They were not eating and now they’re eating so much that actually, last year I had a little Grade 2 who ate a whole meat pie to himself,” she said.
Requena said rĂ©veiller wouldn’t happen without the support of parents and other volunteers in the school community.
“It’s become our school tradition,” said Kerrie Serink, a Grade 3 teacher at the school.
“It’s a really great way for the kids to use their French, they speak French all afternoon,” she said.
