Les fêtes
La Chandeleur: crêpe day in France, explained for families
La Chandeleur is French crêpe day, on 2 February. It began as Candlemas, a feast of candles, and today it means crêpes for dinner. The tradition: flip your first crêpe with a coin held in your other hand, for a good year ahead.
la Chandeleur
Candlemas, crêpe day
Say it la shahn-duh-LUR
The batter, in French
A French family batter for about twelve crêpes. Name each thing as it goes in the bowl.
| French | English | Say it |
|---|---|---|
| la farine | flour, 250 g | Say it la fa-REEN |
| les œufs | eggs, four | Say it lay ZUH |
| le lait | milk, 500 ml | Say it luh LAY |
| le beurre fondu | melted butter, 50 g | Say it luh bur fon-DOO |
| une pincée de sel | a pinch of salt | Say it oon pan-SAY duh SEL |
Ten phrases for crêpe night
- On fait des crêpes ? Shall we make crêpes? Say it on fay day KREP
- On casse les œufs. Let's crack the eggs. Say it on KASS lay ZUH
- Tu mélanges ? Will you mix it? Say it too may-LAHNZH
- Attention, c'est chaud ! Careful, it's hot! Say it a-tahn-SYON, say SHOH
- Un, deux, trois… hop ! One, two, three… flip! Say it uhn, duh, TRWA… OP
- Elle est tombée ! It fell! Say it el ay tom-BAY
- Encore une ! Another one! Say it ahn-KOR OON
- Avec du sucre ou du chocolat ? With sugar or chocolate? Say it a-VEK du SOO-kruh oo du sho-ko-LA
- C'est bon ? Is it good? Say it say BON
- Miam ! Yum! Say it MYAM
Why crêpes?
La Chandeleur comes from la fête des chandelles, the feast of candles, forty days after Christmas. Crêpes joined the feast long ago. The usual story: round and golden, they look like the sun coming back after winter.
The coin flip
Hold a coin in one hand and the pan in the other. Flip the first crêpe. If it lands back in the pan, the story says the year will be a good one. If it lands on the floor, the dog’s year is looking up.
Make it together
Whisk the flour, eggs and salt, then pour in the milk a little at a time, then the melted butter. Rest the batter for half an hour if you can wait; most families with a toddler can’t.
One thing to do tonight
Make the batter together and name each thing as it goes in: la farine, les œufs, le lait. Three words, one bowl.
Free bedtime script
After crêpes, bedtime
A full tummy, then ten bedtime phrases from the Le Dodo script. February, sorted.
Ten bedtime phrases, each with a say-it guide, on one page for the bedroom door.
Voilà, it's on its way
Check your inbox in the next few minutes.
That didn't send, but the script is still yours.
Download it now (PDF)Questions parents ask
What is la Chandeleur?
French crêpe day, on 2 February. It grew out of Candlemas, the Christian feast of candles.
Why do the French eat crêpes at Chandeleur?
The usual story is that round, golden crêpes look like the sun returning after winter. Whatever the reason, it has stuck.
What is the coin tradition?
Flip your first crêpe with a coin held in your other hand. If the crêpe lands back in the pan, the year ahead will be a good one.
When is Chandeleur?
2 February, every year, forty days after Christmas.
Keep going
Updated 16 October 2026