Let’s discover a local tradition of Brittany “la fĂȘte du cochon” – “pig and pork party”. Practice your French with this bilingual French English story – if you are vegetarian however, I suggest you skip this one since it’s all about eating pork.
Brittany, Important Pork Producer
Use the floating blue icon in the bottom right to hide/reveal the English translations below.
La Bretagne est une rĂ©gion agricole, et on y Ă©lĂšve beaucoup de cochons, particuliĂšrement autour de Lamballe dans les CĂŽtes dâArmor, notre dĂ©partement. Et voilĂ , le village de TrĂ©dias, 500 habitants, Ă 30 kilomĂštres de Lamballe et Ă 14 km de Jugon les Lacs, organise chaque annĂ©e une fĂȘte du cochon.
Brittany is an agricultural region, and a lot of pigs are raised, especially around Lamballe in the CĂŽtes dâArmor, our department. And here, the village of TrĂ©dias, 500 inhabitants, 30 kilometers from Lamballe and 14 km from Jugon les Lacs, organizes a pig festival each year.
Our Breton Dance Group: La Rosargue

Les organisateurs ont contactĂ© notre groupe de danse bretonne, La Rosargue, pour nous inviter Ă animer la fĂȘte. Animer dans notre cas, ça veut dire danser en costume traditionnel pendant que les gens mangent, et pendant les autres activitĂ©s associĂ©es Ă la fĂȘte.
The organizers contacted our Breton dance group, La Rosargue, to invite us to animate the party. Animating in our case means dancing in traditional dress while people eat, and during other activities associated with the party.
Avant dây aller, je regarde des descriptions de La fĂȘte du cochon Ă TrĂ©dias sur internet. Ăa commence le matin avec la dĂ©coupe du cochon Ă lâancienne, et la prĂ©paration de pĂątĂ©. A 13 heures, il va y avoir un repas champĂȘtre, âdans une ambiance dâautrefoisâ. Pour avoir plus dâinformations, il faut contacter le fournil, câest-Ă -dire la boulangerie, parce que câest Christian, le boulanger du village qui est prĂ©sident de lâassociation qui organise la fĂȘte. http://www.infolocale.fr/tredias_22348_le-four-a-mie_19320/agenda/repasâsoiree/fete-du-cochon_4009902?date_debut=01-01-2017&date_fin=31-12-2017
Before I go, I look at descriptions of La fĂȘte du cochon in TrĂ©dias on the internet. It begins in the morning with the cutting up of the pig in the old way, and the preparation of pĂątĂ©. At 1 pm, there will be a country meal, âin an atmosphere of yesteryearâ. For more information, it is necessary to contact the bakery, because it is Christian, the village baker who is the president of the association that is organizing the festival.
Preparing the Pork For Cooking
Le jour de la fĂȘte, je descends Ă Jugon oĂč sâorganise un covoiturage pour aller Ă TrĂ©dias. LĂ , le public commence Ă se rassembler autour de la buvette installĂ©e devant la boulangerie. Les gens prennent un apĂ©ritif et ils regardent lâĂ©quipe de bĂ©nĂ©voles qui prĂ©pare le porc de trois cochons juste Ă cĂŽtĂ©, sous un deuxiĂšme chapiteau.
On the day of the fĂȘte, I go down to Jugon where a carpool is organized to go to TrĂ©dias. There, the public are beginning to gather around the refreshment bar in front of the bakery. They have an aperitif and watch the team of volunteers preparing the pork from three pigs next to them under another marquee.
Dancing Breton Dances
Et puis nous dansons : des danses de dĂ©filĂ©, des danses en rond, des danses en ligne et en quadrette. Le public applaudit. Puis nous dĂ©filons, tout en dansant, dans la direction du grand hangar oĂč on va manger.
And then we dance: parade dances, dances in a circle, line dances and foursomes. The audience applauds. Then we go off in a procession, dancing, in the direction of the open barn where we are going to eat.

A Nicely Decorated Barn
Le hangar est dĂ©corĂ© : sur les tables, des noisettes et des Ă©pis de blĂ©, et puis suspendus au-dessus de nos tĂȘtes, des vĂȘtements traditionnels de paysans et de paysannes, et oh ! regardez ! des jolis petits cochons en tricot rose. Quâest-ce quâils sont mignons !
The barn is decorated: on the tables, hazelnuts and ears of wheat, and then suspended above our heads, traditional farmersâ garments and oh! look ! pretty little pink knitted pigs. Arenât they cute !

Accordion Player
Le hangar commence Ă se remplir, et nous dansons encore autour des tables pendant que les gens attendent le premier plat. Pas beaucoup de place pour danser, par contre, alors câest Serge Ă lâaccordĂ©on qui prend la relĂšve. Il enchaĂźne des chansons que tout le monde connaĂźt plus ou moins bien, des standards de la variĂ©tĂ© française, et on chante avec lui. Lâambiance est festive et joyeuse. Pierre, grand amateur de photographie, est partout Ă capturer lâĂ©vĂ©nement en photo. Je commence Ă penser que ceci ferait un trĂšs bon sujet pour un article sur French TodayâŠ
The barn is beginning to fill up, and we dance again around the tables while the people wait for the first course. Thereâs not much space to dance, though, so Serge takes over on the accordion. He plays a string of songs that everyone knows more or less well, popular French standards, and we sing with him. The atmosphere is festive and joyful. Pierre, a great lover of photography, is everywhere capturing the event in photos. I am beginning to think that this would make a very good subject for an article on French Today âŠ

Dehors, une pluie fine commence Ă sâinstaller (câest lâautomne, câest la Bretagne !). Mais lĂ , sous le hangar, nous sommes Ă lâabri et nous mangeons bien.
Outside, a fine rain is beginning to take a hold (itâs autumn, itâs Brittany!). But here, under the barn, we are under cover and we eat well.
First Course â Pork Cold Cuts

Le premier plat, câest de la charcuterie, bien sĂ»r : du pĂątĂ© de campagne, fait la veille par le boucher du village de lâandouille et du saucisson. Puis le plat principal : cĂŽte de porc grillĂ© avec pommes de terre. Le crachin â la pluie fine â sâarrĂȘte, et nous recevons lâordre de notre chef de danser un peu, juste devant le hangar.
The first dish is pork cold cuts, of course: country pĂątĂ©, made the day before by the village butcher, chitterlings and sliced sausage. Then the main course: grilled pork chop with potatoes. The drizzle â the fine rain â stops, and we receive orders from our boss to dance a little, just in front of the hangar.

Puis pendant que les musiciens sont debout, on chante âJoyeux anniversaireâ Ă deux personnes prĂ©sentes qui cĂ©lĂšbrent leur anniversaire aujourdâhui. En parlant avec une des bĂ©nĂ©voles, jâapprends que Christian est sur le point de sortir des petits pĂątĂ©s du four. Elle mâinvite Ă aller le voirâŠ
Then while the musicians are on their feet, we sing âHappy Birthdayâ to two people present who are celebrating their birthday today. Speaking with one of the volunteers, I discover that Christian is about to get some small patĂ©s out of the oven. She invites me to go and see him âŠ

Que ça sent bon au fournil ! Ces pĂątĂ©s sont Ă vendre plus tard dans lâaprĂšs-midi.
How good it smells in the bakehouse! These pùtés will be for sale later in the afternoon.
De retour sous le hangar, je dĂ©couvre que les plats suivants ont Ă©tĂ© servis. Un trou normand (du sorbet avec du calvados) et puis une assiette de fromage. Un peu plus tard, voilĂ le dessert qui arrive, une dĂ©licieuse crĂšme vanille maison. Est-ce quâon va pouvoir continuer Ă danser aprĂšs toute cette bonne âpopoteâ ?
Back in the hangar, I discover that the next dishes have been served. A âtrou normandâ (sorbet with calvados) and then a plate of cheese. A little later, the dessert arrives, a delicious home-made vanilla cream. Are we going to be able to continue dancing after all this good food (common slang)?
Dancing With the Public
Heureusement, rien ne presse, et nous avons le temps de digĂ©rer, de continuer Ă parler, et de prendre un petit cafĂ© avant de danser Ă nouveau. Nous exĂ©cutons des danses de spectacle puis des danses plus faciles oĂč nous invitons le public Ă danser avec nous.
Fortunately, there is no hurry, and we have time to digest, keep talking, and have a small coffee before dancing again. We do display dances and then easier dances where we invite the public to dance with us.

Locally Produced Pork Sale
Mais la fĂȘte ne touche pas encore Ă sa fin, ah non, loin de lĂ ! Maintenant il est temps de dĂ©filer encore, cette fois dans la direction de la buvette oĂč les bĂ©nĂ©voles vont organiser la vente de pĂątĂ©s, de saucisses, de rĂŽtis de porc, de jarrets, et autres, et de pains et de brioches Ă la boulangerie. Entre deux danses, jâachĂšte un kilo de saucisses. Les ventes vont bon train. Tous les ingrĂ©dients sont naturels, et les cochons viennent dâun Ă©levage local.
But the fĂȘte is not yet over, no, far from it! Now itâs time to go in a procession again, this time in the direction of the âbuvetteâ bar where the team of volunteers are going to organize the sale of pĂątĂ©, sausages, pork roasts, hocks, and the like, and bread and soft bread loaves at the bakery. Between two dances, I buy a kilo of sausages. Sales are going well. All the ingredients are natural, and the pigs come from a local farm.
Une demi-heure plus tard, il ne reste pas beaucoup de porc Ă vendre, mais un peu quand mĂȘme. Puis nous dĂ©couvrons la tradition de cette fĂȘte : finir par une vente aux enchĂšres âau cadranâ, une enchĂšre hollandaise oĂč on commence par annoncer un prix Ă©levĂ©, puis on rĂ©duit le prix progressivement jusquâĂ ce que quelquâun achĂšte lâarticle en question. Je suis la procĂ©dure avec intĂ©rĂȘt, et jâachĂšte un rĂŽti de porc.
Half an hour later, there is not much left to sell, but a little remains. Then we discover the tradition of this festival: ending with an auction âau cadranâ, a Dutch auction where they start by announcing a high price, then they reduce the price gradually until someone buys the item in question. I follow the procedure with interest, and I buy a pork roasting joint.
Et voilĂ , tout est vendu et les gens commencent Ă partir. Les derniĂšres conversations, notre derniĂšre interprĂ©tation de notre danse emblĂ©matique âLe Bal de Jugonâ, beaucoup de sourires et de remerciements, et il est temps de partir, nous aussi. Dans le covoiturage pour rentrer Ă Jugon, nous sommes fatiguĂ©s mais contents⊠et je commence Ă rĂ©flĂ©chir Ă ce que je vais mettre dans mon article pour French TodayâŠ
And then, everything is sold and people start to leave. The last conversations, our last interpretation of our emblematic dance âLe Bal de Jugonâ, many smiles and thank yous, and itâs time for us to leave, too. In the carpool to return to Jugon, we are tired but happy ⊠and I start to think about what I will put in my article for French Today âŠ
Crédits et remerciements à Pierre Vola pour plusieurs photos.
If you liked this article, why not consider a stay at Suzanneâs home in Brittany to better your French? Here is more info about the French Immersion Residential courses recommended by French Today.
Share post
SIGN UP NOW