Why do the Normans proudly celebrate their region on Saint-Michel, September 29?

The Normans have the opportunity to celebrate this Sunday, September 29, the date of Saint-Michel, patron saint of the Normans. A day dedicated to the celebration of the Normandy regional festival. But where does this tradition come from?

Everyone knows the Irish St. Patrick’s Day, March 17. Or even Saint-Yves, glorified by all Breton neighbors, in May. Well, the Normans also have their own celebration, during Michaelmas Day on September 29.

Historically, in the Middle Ages, all of France honored this date by singing and dancing during celebrations, but since 2013, “Saint-Michel”, patron saint of the Normans, has been identified as the Norman festival and celebrated by many residents.

An initiative by Chloé Sarah Herzhaft and Florian Hurard, both historians by training.

“Being Norman is a feeling. We found it interesting to launch a regional festival on St. Michael’s Day. Especially since it corresponds to the Indian summer and the weather is generally nice“, told Chloé Sarah Herzhaft, on the set of France 3 Normandie, a month before the launch of the first edition in 2013.

Surely even more than in other French regions, “particularly because of its rich, internationally known history“, Normandy is a territory where the inhabitants are proud of their roots, as Florian Hurard recalls.

There is a very vibrant cultural identity in Normandy. This Norman festival aims to encourage residents and lovers of the region to reclaim their identity and to energize the local area by organizing festivities.

Florian Hurard

Historian, at the origin of the Norman festival

The idea of ​​the two historians has materialized in numerous celebrations over the years in all departments of the region and even in England.

So much so that in 2017, the Norman Festival was officially recognized by the UNESCO France commission.