About the history of the St-Jean-Baptiste celebrations
Popular annual celebrations in French Canada on 24 June (the feast day of St John the Baptist) or on the days before or after this date. Following a tradition the origin of which is lost in antiquity, many people, among them the Gauls, lit fires to celebrate the summer solstice. According to the Jesuit Relations and the Journal des Jésuites, this tradition was revived on the banks of the St Lawrence in 1636.
It is not known why St-Jean-Baptiste came to be considered the patron saint of French Canada. One legend has it that a great many French-Canadians bearing that given name persuaded the journalist and patriot Ludger Duvernay to adopt it as the name of the national society of French-Canadians which he founded in 1834. In any case that was the name he chose, and the St-Jean-Baptiste Association (St-Jean-Baptiste Society from 1914 on) of Montreal took the maple leaf and the beaver as its emblems. The founding was celebrated 24 Jun 1834 by a banquet to which 60 guests were invited - Irish, US, and Canadian.
Quebec City had its first official celebration in 1842. Twice the celebrations achieved exceptional dimensions. In 1874 60,000 visitors, half of them Franco-Americans, invaded Montreal to celebrate in grand style the 40th anniversary of the founding of the St-Jean-Baptiste Association and to join in a huge national convention of French-Canadians. The celebration in Quebec City in 1880 coincided with another national convention of French-Canadians. Band concerts in the public squares on the evening of 23 June drew enormous crowds. The next day a choir of more than 500 voices performed Gustave Gagnon’s arrangement of Du Mont’s Messe royale accompanied by the bands of the 9th Battalion and the Union musicale. Calixa Lavallée’s national song ‘O Canada’, composed for the occasion, was performed that day.
(Sources: The Canadian Encyclopedia - Author: Suzanne Thomas )
We are happy to participate on Sundays to this vibrant street market with our original Bohemian Art jewelry. We’re also bringing a touch of “Metamorphosis” through professional face painting for the enjoyment of both kids & adults alike.
About Government Street Market
When:
Every Sunday from April until September.
11 AM to 4H30 PM
Where:
Government Street from Pandora Ave. to Fisgard St. in Victoria, BC, Canada.
“Metamorphosis” Professional Face Painting by Cerika Government Street Market May 23rd 2010
The Art of Metamorphosis
Face Painting by Cerika
at the 2010 Spring Carnival on Saltspring Island
The SSI Co-operative Pre-school was hosting the 10th edition of its Spring Carnival on May 16 at the Farmer’s Institute, here on Saltspring Island.
Cerika performs her Art of Transformation at Spring Carnival
Under the name “Metamorphosis”, Cerika has been performing for years as a professionnal make-up artist in major international festivals in Quebec city & Montreal.
Now on Saltspring Island, she was happy to share her art of transformation with the community and help support the great cause and efforts of the SSI Co-operative Pre-school.
Beauty & Bliss for the kids If there is something that characterizes Cerika, it’s certainly her deep belief in the importance of Art, Beauty and Happiness in one’s life. As much as we need the best food and the best water available for ourselves and for our loved ones, filling our own life and also the life of others with moments of Beauty & Happiness is also equally vital. All young & young at heart will agree, we’re sure.
From April 3rd, Georges & Cerika will be exhibiting their Bohemian Art pieces, doing Stone Reading, Soul Story Telling and also playing Bohemian songs at the Saturday Market in Ganges on SaltSpring Island.
As new comers on the island, we will always be located in a different spot in from one week to the other. So, it will take a little digging around to find us. That’s also a good thing as it may give you a good occasion to browse throughout one of the most amazing Saturday markets of the Gulf Islands.
La Tendresse (Tenderness - Caring)
Recorded Live in Victoria, BC at the James Bay Coffee & Books
on March 12th of 2010.
It is also our prayer for humanity:
May this world be blessed in a flood of tenderness & gentleness…
Because without caring, love itself would be meaningless…
Special thanks to our loving friend Marek without whom this clip would have never existed.
Blessed are you for caring for these 2 French Bohemians you once met at the Franco Fest in Victoria!
Come meet International Lapidary Artist Cerika at the 2010 edition of the Victoria Rock & Gem Show.
Come browse her amazing Lapidary Art pieces and hear the fascinating journey & the stories behind each of them!
From rockhounding through the Arizona desert to designing & the creation of her inspiring award winning Lapidary Art jewelry Collections.
Cerika will also be demonstrating the use of custom made lapidary tools of her conception as well as some of the techniques involved in cutting, forming & polishing rock & gem material.
Georges will be featuring several multimedia presentations each centered around the story of a famous and sometimes “”infamous” gem stone. Learn their story, their origin and the adventure of getting for instance a new one accepted in the “Gem” family.
Where Leonardo da Vinci Center
195 Bay St
Victoria, BC
When March 19, 20 and 21, 2010
Friday 1:00pm to 9:00 pm
Saturday 10:00am to 6:00 pm
Sunday 10:00am to 4:30 pm
How much Adults $5
Seniors/Students $4
Family of 4 $10
Weekend Pass $8
French Bohemians Georges & Cerika will be performing at the James Bay Coffee & Books, a cute & very cultural venue in Victoria, BC. A unique and interesting shop in a heritage building in the heart of James Bay village.
One of Victoria’s well kept secret. We discovered this little pearl while exploring Victoria for contacts & places to perform on out first tour of what they call here “The Big Island”, meaning Vancouver island. G&C
When Friday, March 12th
About 20H00 (just after the open Mic event)
Where James Bay Coffee & Books
(Conveniently located at “Five Corners” across Thrifty’s)
143 Menzies St
Victoria,British Columbia,
Contact: (250) 386-4700
French Bohemians Georges & Cerika will be performing at:
Spiral Cafe 418 Craigflower Road, Victoria, B.C.
(in between Pine & Raynor )
(250) 386-9303
Saturday March 6th
8 PM
The Spiral Cafe, located across from Banfield Park in Vic West, is a real community resource that showcases and highlights local artists and musicians, supports Victoria West community events like the annual corn roast, and in general serves as an unofficial community centre. (victoriadailyphoto.blogspot.com)
We are Georges & Cérika, 2 long time soul companions. We met in 1979 and just kept going from one experience to the other.