Fêtes des voisins

Warning : Topic against religion

Last Friday there was a get-together with the neighbours of our street for la Fête des voisins.  Since we live in a long street and the next neighbour is at 500m, we just don't know them and most of them are farmers.  When our neighbour invited us, the one who breeds and sells porks invited us, we reluctantly agreed.  We are just not social people. It was a pot luck and everybody brought salad and dessert.  I made 24 muffins and they were all excited about them : ce sont des coupe-cakes! I said no muffins! there's no icing on them.  I don't understand the fuss about them.  It seems exotic to them.  Another neighbour brought organic radishes.  And of course, the pièce of resistance : the BBQ pork.  We had so much crémant (sparkling wine) and beer, people were starting to talk very loudly.  We stayed up until 1 am.

One neighbour was asking if we can get together for various activities, like forming a group to speak in English or rural catholic gatherings.  I was thinking to myself how I could dodge from the religious stuff.  In Canada, we are not catholic, well not openly.  Quebecers rebelled against religion during "La révolution Tranquille".  In the North of France, catholicism is still present.  When I first arrived here, all I can hear from my sister in law is : "ils sont habillés catho, ce sont des cathos....". (they are dressed cathos, they are catholics).  I thought she was judgmental and I just didn't get it.  But she was sent to catholic private school so she knew a great deal about them. I don't want to ruffle people by saying this, but Cathos are almost a distinctive social class of  its own.  Most of them go to catholic private schools, they have at least 3 children and they speak a certain way.  And of course, they have well positionned jobs.  They have their own network and in the North of France, some of them are descending from rich textile industrial families. Some of them are bourgois, and inherited family fortune.  Some are financially comfortable farmers. I think they are a minority but are very influential in politics, mostly right-wing. They were the ones protesting against gay marriage.

So I was surprised when the neighbours talked about the rural catholic gatherings.  I just nodded and kept quiet. Aside from the age gap, I don't see myself hanging out with those women.  They are in their own bubble. But the neighbours don't seem too rigid.  They are farmers and they are doing the catholic stuff out of habits. During the get-together, nobody talked about politics or religion, well aside from their catholic gatherings and their private schools. It's not something  you want to discuss with almost-strangers. But we had fun and are planning to see each other next year for la fête des voisins.