一場發生在加拿大的法蘭西盛宴
環球風情
作者：by Janna Graber
“Can you pull it any tighter？” I ask my friend Belinda. “I want this thing to stay put！”
Belinda responds by pulling the strings 1）lacing up the back of my 18th-century 2）gown even tighter. “There，” she says.“That’s not going anywhere now.”
To be honest， it’s the first time I’ve ever dressed in such fashion， but I learned one thing—with all these hooks， 3）fasteners and back laces， you need someone to help you get dressed！
Still， Belinda and I feel quite grand as we 4）twirl in front of the mirror， admiring our 5）attire. She has 6）donned a 7）royal blue gown with white lace sleeves， and I’m wearing a gold and blue dress.
Such attire might seem odd， but it’s the fashion here in Québec City， Québec—at least for five days each year. We’re here for the 8）annual New France Festival， when the Québec capital city 9）celebrates its French colonial roots.
More than 200，000 visitors from around the world come for the lively celebration， but locals also get into the spirit. Many spend hours designing and making their 17th and 18th-century attire.
Visitors who don’t have their own costumes can rent costumes at the festival. The New France Festival website even offers tips on how to create your own costume using common materials you can find at home.
The New France Festival takes place each August in Old Québec. Old Québec has been named a UNESCO World Heritage Treasure， and it is the heart of the Québec capital city. With its historic city walls， 10）cobblestone streets， and 17th- and 18th-century 11）architecture， 12）reminders of France can still be seen everywhere.
The only French-speaking province in Canada， Québec has a unique history all its own. New France refers to the North American region colonized by France， starting with the exploration of the St. Lawrence River in 1534. 13）Eventually， the area 14）stretched from Newfoundland to the Rocky Mountains and from Hudson Bay to the Gulf of Mexico.
The French colony ended with the 15）cession of New France to Spain and Great Britain in 1763. With the Louisiana Purchase注 in 1803， the United States 16）obtained the southern regions of the French colony， forever ending French colonial efforts on the North American mainland.
Even though Québec eventually became part of English-speaking Canada， its French heart still beats strong. French is the main language of the province， but most Québecers are 17）bilingual.
This year， the New France Festival theme is“To our heroines，” honoring the women—mothers， nuns， natives， and 18）merchants—who helped form the new French colony. To kick off the festival， 36 women， 19）representing the first women who were sent by Louis XIV to help build the new colony in 1663， arrive on a 20）sailing vessel on opening night.
These “King’s Daughters，” as they were called， are considered to be some of the founding mothers of Québec. From 1663 to 1673， 800 more King’s Daughters were sent to Québec. Each woman was given a 21）dowry from the king， and had one month to choose a husband. Their goal was to help build the colony by 22）promoting family and the birth of children. 23）Apparently， they were successful， because a majority of Québecers can trace their 24）ancestry back to one of these women.