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Visitor's Guide

French Heritage

Traditions

La Gui-Année or La Guignolée

Location: Ste. Genevieve, MO
Dennis & Jennifer
Stroughmatt

La Gui-Année (or La Guignolée according to some) has been celebrated in Ste. Genevieve for the past 250 years on New Year's Eve. This song is sung by a roving group of trubadors, traditionally, the singers go from home to home (or pub to pub) where they exchange New Year's well-wishes, sing their New Year's song, and are welcomed, in turn, with refreshments and/or goodies. In verse, the singers ask the host for his indulgence and beg a pork backbone for a fricassee while inviting the household's oldest daughter to join them.

This tradition dates back to the Middle Ages when the poor of the town gathered for a little New Year's Eve fun by serenading their hosts while asking for a gift of food for their dinner. The custom crossed the ocean to the Mississippi River vallley in 1699 and has been practiced annually in Ste. Genevieve ever since and is open to all who wish to participate.

La Gui-Année
Good evening master and mistress, and all who live with you.
For the first day of the year, you owe us La Guignolée.
If you have nothing to give, a chine of meat or so will do.
A chine of meat is not a big thing, only ninety feet long.
Again, we don't ask for very much, only the oldest daughter of the house.
We will give her lots of good cheer, and we will surely warm her feet.
Now, we greet you, and beg you to forgive us please.
If we have acted a little crazy, we meant it in good fun.
Another time we'll surely be careful, to know when we must come back here again.
Let us dance La Guenillé, La Guenillé, La Guenillé!

Website: CreoleStomp.com

The Gavotte

Location: Felix Vallé SHS

Traditional dance at the Felix Vallé House State Historic Site called the Gavotte. The gavotte (also gavot or gavote) originated as a French folk dance, taking its name from the Gavot people of the Pays de Gap region of Dauphiné, where the dance originated.

The dance is done in Ste. Genevieve as part of the Vielle (celebration) that includes storytelling as well as dancing. This video was recorded during Ste. Genevieve's French Heritage Festival.

Website: YourPreservationist.webs.com

Kings Ball

Image: R.Mueller
Location: VFW Hall

The Christmas season concludes with the annual King's Ball (Le Fete des Roi) held on the first Saturday of February. Townspeople of all ages and visitors dressed in colonial costumes dance the night away to the sounds of traditional music. Dance lessons are provided as part of the entertainment.

As part of the local tradition, the men in attendance are served a piece of cake and the one who discovers a special object, usually a bean, in his piece is crowned king of Ste. Genevieve for the year. The king also chooses his queen and together they reign over Ste. Genevieve events and festivals throughout the year. During leap years, the ladies rule as a queen is crowned and she chooses her king.

Le Réveillon

Image: MDNR
Location: Felix Vallé House SHS

Early Ste. Genevieve inhabitants held a night long celebration after midnight mass on Christmas Eve. They refered to this celebration as Le RéveillonThe activities included a meal of turkey, tortiere (a pork pie), boudin noir (a sausage), and vegetables and concluded with the traditional 13 sweets representing the 12 apostles and Christ.

Local residents served traditional French specialties such as Pain d`épice (gingerbread), Croquembouche (cream puffs), and Sablé Normand (sugar cookies) as well as locally inspired treats such as sugared pecans, mincemeat pie and the Bûche de Noël or Yule log cake.

Ste. Genevieve still celebrates this tradition, which is open to the public, on the second Sunday in December at the Felix Vallé House State Historic Site.