Saint Honoré Day or Bread Day

Saint Honoré the Patron Saint of Bakers and Pastry Chefs

France is rather special in that it holds dear to its customs and has a rich tradition of assigning saints as special guardians and protectors of just about every aspect of our lives. There is even a patron saint of bakers and pastry chefs called Saint Honoré.

Saint Honoré is the saint or protector of all bakers and pastry chefs and with just about every village or town boasting at least one boulangerie (bakery), and cities with substantially more, Saint Honore is indeed a very busy Saint! 

Saint Honoré Day or Bread Day

This very busy and important Saint even has his own day on the French calendar when he is honoured, and thanks is given to him. This day is called Saint Honoré Day or Bread Day and it falls annually on the 16th of May. As well as celebrating the life of the Saint and all he does for bakers, bread in all its shapes, sizes and styles is baked, eaten and celebrated.

Brief History of Saint Honoré

Saint Honoré was born in the village of Port-le-Grand, in Ponthieu, at the beginning of the 6th century. Also known as Honoratus, he became bishop of Amiens in Northern France. After his death, processions in his honour supposedly stopped both droughts and deluges, and because of this, the towns experienced good wheat harvests. This won him the admiration and thanks of bakers across the country.

Honoré's importance grew when a Parisian baker donated the funds to build a church in his honour. It was in 1400, that the bakers of Paris got together and formed the baker's guild. As would seem appropriate, they chose to establish their guild in the church of Saint Honoratus. They also decided to celebrate the Saint on the 16th of May each year. 

As you explore Paris, you will find many pastry shops and boulangeries that are named after him. In Paris his feast day is celebrated with a three-day festival of bread. It's a celebration of the city's finest boulangeries, where you can indulge in crusty bread and baguettes, buttery croissants, and witness the prestigious “Best Baguette in Paris” award.

Did you know the French baguette has been awarded UNESCO status? Read our post on how and why the French Baguette was awarded UNESCO Heritage Status. 

Saint Honoré Cake

Such is the importance of Saint Honoré that a young confectioner in 1847 decided to create a cake to dedicate to the Saint. The delicious cake is described in my local patisserie as follows: Sweet pastry, choux pastry, whipped cream pastry cream with small pastry cream puffs. The cake base which is filled with Chantilly cream is surrounded by a string of small pastry creme puffs (or "petit choux") that are filled with vanilla cream and caramelised. The cake looks like a little crown and is seriously sweet and delectable. 

Ways to Celebrate Saint Honoré Day or Bread Day

If you're in Paris, you could attend Les Fetes du Pain or Bread Festival. There are competitions, including the Best French Traditional Baguette, demonstrations and tastings. The festival extends over three days around the 16th of May.

Eat the cake created especially for Saint Honoré from any boulangerie - the Saint-Honoré. I bet you only get through one of these very sweet cakes!

If you're in Amiens, then a visit to the Cathedral, which is a UNESCO heritage site dating back to the 13th century, is a great way to celebrate Saint Honoré. The south portal of the Cathedral is a grand entrance that pays tribute to him. His relics are also contained within the Cathedral.

The easiest way to join in on the French fun though is to snack on a crusty baguette or bread loaf with cheese and champagne.

However you decide to celebrate Bread Day, I wish you a great day with family and friends!

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