Le Paris Weekend: Fête des voisins

La fête des voisins: 

As an American, who is used to warm greetings from neighbors and block parties during the summer months- this festival hits a sweet spot for me.

This festival is due to the initiative of Atanase Périfan, who had launched the idea in 1999 in the 17th arrondissement of Paris, with the association he had founded some years earlier, Friends of Paris.
But this was  not the first, many Belgian municipalities had similar initiatives known as the neighborhood barbecue, Street Party, Dinner neighbors.

The following year,  the Association of Mayors of France, then social landlords (HLM), supported this initiative which later developed throughout France. From 2000 to 2009, fête des voisins was held on the last  Tuesday of May but in 2010 the festival was moved to the last Friday of May. After the creation of Voisins Solidaires in 2008, the festival has since been gaining support of city counsils, housing organizations, and local businesses.

Also known as Neighbor's Day, this festival is also celebrated in more than 30 countries!

Le Paris Weekend- Earth Day

Celebrate Earth Day 

Sunday April 22nd

Started in 1970 by Wisconsin Senator Nelson calling for an environmental teach-in on April 22nd and has since been celebrated on that day and was recognized as International Mother Earth Day by the United Nations in 2009. It's important to teach our children about how crucial it is to care for our planet. Here are a few ideas to keep the earth clean and well for generations to come.

- Growing an indoor garden- it's easy and cost efficient to grow your own herbs and small veggies (like tomatoes) without needing a green thumb. Check your local market or florist for seeds and planting tips. For more ways to add green to your home try Jardinland

- Unplug and connect- turn off your electronics (even better to unplug) and conserve energy. Use the time away from the TV to connect with the family outdoors. Why not make it family game night and play one of the classic games you grew up with. Toys r us has a full listing of classic games and more! 


- Know your carbon footprint- learn about reducing you ecological impact on the world with this cool calculator (for kids). Parents you can try this one. 


The most important thing to remember is that small changes to our everyday behavior helps our planet.

Elections!!

The French round one of the elections is this Sunday. Who will make it to round two? All major newspapers are covering the elections but I liked this chart from lemonde.fr. 

American Elections:

Also do not forget to register for the absentee ballot- there is a deadline, so do it NOW if you haven't done so already. Click here for more information.