In France, pompoms are very common and are anchored in the french folk culture, for kids and adults alike.
Pompons are some lucky charms and symbols of hapiness...
During my summer break in France I have been happy when my first kid hung out the pompom during his carousel party time. It depends of each carousel but this time the pompon was represented by a long monkey tail. The monkey was shaken by the director of the carousel, up and down, from left to right and the first kid who hung out won a free ticket for a second tour.
Lucky my son!
Do you know the French navy sailors are the only ones worn a red pompom on theirs hat?
From a legend in August 9, 1858, the
Empress Eugenie, wife of Napoleon III, has inaugurated the imperial Bridge of
the city Brest. During the visit of a ship, one of the sailors began to
attention and injured his head bumping the ceiling of the boat. Sorry for his
misfortune, the empress offers her white handkerchief which immediately shade
of red in contact with the wound.
Unfornately, this beautiful story
seems to have been invented. Indeed, the pompons of the French navy could be
found for insiders already adorned cap sailors in 1808, 50 years before Eugenie
visit to Brest.
So, where does it come from and what
does it do? Well, it is simply to protect the heads of sailors when working
under low ceilings ships. And as we do not mess with the national pompon, its
diameter is exactly 8cm, it must weigh 141g (and not an ounce more), measuring
25 mm in height and madder dyed red color!
The red pompon is an exclusivity of a
French factory located in La Chartre du Loir, a little city in Sarthe
department.
So good luck!!!
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