VPS.net’s 12 Days of Christmas – 3 French Hens

Another bird-related gift comes our way on the third day of Christmas. This time, from a different country.

VPS.net’s 12 Days of Christmas is slowly coming to an end. In a couple of short days, Santa Claus will be departing on his night-long journey. After that, many of us will stuff our faces with a huge meal and then slowly make the transition back to school and work. Before that, let’s enjoy three of my favorite things and people to come out of France…but maybe we should examine first if they are actually French:

• French Toast. Ah yes, a thick piece of bread slathered in milk, eggs, cinnamon, and syrup. Who could resist such an exquisite masterpiece? What should be a savory dessert is widely accepted as a part of a complete and nutritious breakfast (although actually the nutritious part may be debatable). However, is this mouthwatering treat even French? The roots of French toast are a bit foggy. It is believed that French toast was around long before France was even a country. The earliest we’ve found a record of French toast is in the 4th century, when people would dip stale bread in milk and eggs to make the taste tolerable. Rumor has it that French toast got its name from Henry V, who came up with “pain perdu”, or “lost bread”. Thanks Henry V.
• Louis Pasteur. This famous French scientist made it possible for all of us to drink healthy milk without getting sick thanks to his invention of pasteurization.  Even more important than that, he developed a cure for anthrax and rabies. He dedicated his work to improving the lives of human beings and he accomplished just that. Moments before he died, he said, “I should like to be younger, so as to devote myself with new ardour to the study of new diseases”.
• French architecture. We could start at the Eiffel Tower, move to Notre Dame of Paris, and then take the rest of the day talking about French architecture. It’s believed that the beginnings of French architecture are linked to ancient Greek and Roman culture. One of the earliest examples of Roman influence is the amphitheatre at Nimes. As years went by, the French moved towards Medieval style architecture, then the Renaissance. During the time of Louis XIII, French Baroque came into the scene; the Palace of Versailles is an example of this revolutionary time period. Some of the most exquisite and unique architecture can be found in modern France.

Even though French toast (and French fries for that matter) might not really be from France, the cultural contributions are endless. How does this tie into 3 French Hens? Well, according to Catholic tradition, the 3 French Hens is a reference to Faith, Hope, and Love. No matter what your religious stance, faith, hope, and love are three things we can all work on this holiday season. Merry Christmas!
We hope you’ve enjoyed reading about “The Twelve Days of Christmas”. Follow us on twitter @vpsnet to stay connected!